Spring '05 FanFiction
by InuyashaAdventures
Summary: Each chapter is a different story that has been entered in the Spring 'o5 Fan Fiction contest currently running on Inuyasha Adventures. Please read them and vote for the winner.
1. Citrus by Charlotte Diamond

Disclaimer: This story was written by Charlotte Diamond, not Inuyasha Adventures. This story is an entry for the Spring '05 Fan Fiction contest. If you would like to vote on this story to win the contest or any other entry, please use the link on the profile page. Thank you, InuGirlTeen.

**Citrus **

**by Charlotte Diamond**

Sesshomaru walked slowly along the side of the riverbed near his

castle. He couldn't get Kagome out of his mind.

His mind had been plagued with thoughts of her since he had seen her for the first time in his father's grave. He growled, angry that he was letting himself stoop to the point where he was falling for a filthy human. But he couldn't help but ponder on her image. Her soft raven hair and her big chocolate eyes…they were so beautiful. Even if she was a human, she showed a sort of elegance underneath her exterior.

Sighing in defeat he removed his kimono to bathe. He could have just as easily taken a bath at his own castle, but wanted now, more than ever to get away from all of his servants and from the stress of being a demon lord. Not only that, but it was his birthday as well. Everyone was making such a huge deal about it, and they had been giving him a headache. He stepped elegantly into the running water and let the cold-water swirl around his perfect figure.

He lay back, leaning his head against a large rock. Enjoying the feel of water gently massaging his flesh he unconsciously let himself drift off into his thoughts.

Sesshomaru thought about the young human that traveled with his moronic half-brother and felt his anger rise slightly.

"Baka Inuyasha…" he muttered softly to the air. He lifted his nose to the air and took a deep breath of the fresh air to relax him.

His eyes shot open. 'That smell…!' He sniffed the air carefully and then took a deep whiff. It smelled…like citrus. It was a rare smell in these parts and there was only one person that he knew that smelled of citrus.

"Kagome…" He leapt from the water and replaced his discarded garments to where they belonged. He jumped across the river and up into a tree, waiting for the object of his desires to appear.

"Inuyasha! SIT!" Kagome screamed at Inuyasha. The familiar command was followed by an equally familiar thud. Kagome ran underneath Sesshomaru, tears streaming from her closed eyes. He leapt to the next tree to keep his eye on her. He heard his brother yelling profanities at her from his hole in the ground.

He was about to follow her when Miroku and Sango advised his to keep his distance from her until she calmed herself. Sesshomaru listened, satisfied that Inuyasha agreed with them.

Sesshomaru had become a master at concealing his scent and power, allowing him free movement towards the distressed maiden.

He landed beside her, making no noise what so ever in his grace. She sat on a rock, the same rock that he had been leaning his head on as he had bathed.

She had fallen in or maybe jumped into the river and was now soaking wet, on the other side where he had been before he went looking for her. She was still crying, but now shivers wracked her small frame. He could feel her misery emanating off of her in waves. He frowned and stepped towards her.

She heard him and now a new feeling mixed with her misery… the

unmistakable calling of fear. She whirled around and looked at him wide-eyed. Fear was visible in her movements and features.

She gasped and looked as though debating with herself whether to run, yell, or plead for mercy. She did none of those though, as if sensing that he meant no harm.

"Sesshomaru…what do you want?" She was nervous. But who wouldn't be? He was highly feared and for good reason.

"You're crying. What did he do to you now?" The question seemed very odd considering his tone of voice. He held his usual icy tone but there was a strange tinge of anger and sadness that could just barely be noticed.

She looked at him strangely, seemingly not sure how to respond.

"Inuyasha? He's just being a jerk as usual…it's nothing new…I just wish he would gain some sense." She started speaking softly in spite of her fear, which was unconsciously subsiding.

He stepped towards her and she tensed, still slightly nervous in his presence. She shivered sharply and he growled softly. She backed up on the rock just barely at his growl.

"Why are you wet? Did you fall into the river?" she blushed,

embarrassed but nodded. He frowned. "You're freezing. It is quite cold." She nodded and looked at him in awe.

He moved forward and held out his hand to her and she stared at it in shock.

"Sesshomaru why are you being so kind to me?" she was usually much more cautious but something about him was calming her. She could see something under the ice in the depths of his eyes. Something that he wasn't showing.

"I have seen the way that he treats you. Even if you are a human, it is despicable how he treats another being. When I mistreat any being, it is because I have been mistreated or disrespected by them." He stated all of this without an ounce of emotion.

Kagome was frowning but took his hand. He helped her stand and their hands lingered. Kagome flushed and Sesshomaru felt his heart flutter.

"Kagome…why do you stay with that stupid Hanyou…he treats you as his pet."

Sesshomaru's eyes seemed to melt to Kagome. They showed emotions that had never been visible to her before in him.

Even his voice seemed to soften. Sesshomaru realized that he had slipped and covered up his expression again. Kagome lifted a gentle hand to his face and touched it.

He didn't flinch or even blink but he unconsciously seemed to move into her hand ever so slightly. She watched on in amazement.

She had always expected his skin to be as cold as ice, but it was warm and soft as silk.

"Sesshomaru…why do you care?" she asked him, her voice hushed and full of admiration.

He looked down at her and looked into her eyes. They seemed to reflect the same awe that he felt. She was so perfect and she probably would never realize it if she remained with that half-wit.

He had to say something now…or he would probably never have the chance again…not like this.

"Kagome…you are unlike any human that I have met besides Rin." He started, his eyes softening once again as he spoke of his young ward. Kagome let a small smile twitch lightly at the edge of her mouth. "You are powerful, strong-willed, modest, and actually quite breathtaking." She couldn't believe what he was saying as she gazed up at him, his mask slipped and he pulled her into a hug.

Kagome tensed, but slowly accepted the embrace and returned it

hesitantly. He continued…" Kagome…I have admired you for some time…I think…I may love you." He whispered the last part softly into her ear.

He let her go and turned his back to walk away, fearing that she would show him a look of disgust.

He felt a small hand wrap around his own. He turned to look at the offender and saw Kagome looking into his soul with such love that he felt his heart melt.

"Sesshomaru…is that true? You…love me?" Sesshomaru could only nod his head. His confidence seemed to be slowly building on itself. She smiled up at him and tears began falling again, but this time he could sense no misery…but undeniable happiness.

She leaned up and kissed him. He did not question her or her motives but embraced her protectively as the kiss continued. He let their lips part and they gazed at each other.

Sesshomaru felt at peace and happier than he had ever been. Finally there was someone that he may be able to share his future with.

Kagome smiled brightly and put her hand to his face again.

"Sesshomaru…I have to go back to my friends again…but I would like to see you again…and as soon as I finish finding the jewel shards…we can decide what we should do." She looked slightly sad through her smile.

Sesshomaru nodded and kissed the inside of her hand.

"I will always be a few steps behind to protect you, Kagome." He finally let a smile show through. She leaned up and kissed him one more time and then he helped her across the river. He watched her run towards her friends and then set off towards his castle, thinking that he had just received the best birthday present that could ever be given.

The End


	2. Kitsune Delight by Mistress Nika

**Disclaimer: This story was written by Mistress Nika, not Inuyasha Adventures. This story is an entry for the Spring '05 Fan Fiction contest. If you would like to vote on this story to win the contest or any other entry, please use the link on the profile page. Thank you, InuGirlTeen.**

**(This story is not yet complete.)**

Kitsune Delight

Mistress Nika

Couples: Kurama/Kagome, Kouga/InuYasha, Miroku/Sango, minor Hiei/OC, future OC/OC

Warnings: shounen-ai, crossover, minor violence, language, sexual humor

Archive: InuYasha: My Will, Atlantis Princess, I do not own InuYasha nor Yuu Yuu Hakusho. Uchiha Kair owns the OC Kairi. She gave me permission to use her.

Summary: Kagome, no longer burdened by her ties to InuYasha, becomes more confident and independant. A female kitsune finds her way to Kaede's village bearing the most precious cargo; a child. Upon the woman's death, the group suddenly finds themselves with an infant kitsune to care for. Kagome takes the child to her time and encounters a certain pair of Reikai Tantei. And with Kouga's arrival, InuYasha finds strange feelings awakening in him for his greatest rival. Now they must protect the child from a new, unseen foe while attempting to sort out their own muddled feelings.

Chapter One:

InuYasha no Baka

'Three blissful weeks!' Kagome thought to herself. Stretching like a cat, she awoke from her peaceful slumber. She turned her head to the side and looked out the window next to her bed. The early morning sun shone in, blanketing her in it's warmth and causing her to squint slightly. 'I can't believe I've had three weeks of no InuYasha and lots of catching up at school.' Her face became contorted at the thought of the hanyou. 'That baka! He actually thought I'd stay after he let Kikyou join us? Baka! Baka! Baka! In fact, that's his new name...BAKA!'

Her silent rant was cut short as she saw a flash of red outside her window.

"Oh it couldn't be!" she groaned.

No sooner did she speak than two fuzzy silver ears popped up under her window sill, followed by silver hair and two searching golden eyes. 'No doubt he expects me to be up at such an early hour!'

Waisting no time she cried, "OSUWARI!" which was followed by a breaking tree limb, a loud thump into the flowerbed beneath her window and several foul words.

A smirk played over her lips as she jumped up and quickly dressed in her green-and-white school uniform. It wouldn't take him long to recover and the last thing she wanted was an angry hanyou to barge into her bedroom with her half dressed!

She knew she would eventually have to go back. It was her duty to complete the Shikon no Tama. Afterall, she was the one who shattered it. And like hell was she going to let Kikyou have it! It had come from her body! That made HER it's guardian! Not Kikyou. Not anymore. It didn't belong five hundred years in the past. It belonged here, in her time and in her hands.

But that didn't mean she couldn't have fun while gathering it. True, she wasn't too happy about traveling with Kikyou. She didn't trust the woman. But she was determined to make InuYasha's life one long string of painful sits. She had to admit, causing him pain seemed very appealing after what he had done to her. And as for Kikyou...she still possessed part of Kagome's soul. So that would mean that eventually, she would have to die. And that also meant that in order for her to live, she would eventually attack Kagome for the rest of their shared soul.

'Hmph! Let her try.' Kagome thought. 'I'm growing tired of this game anyway. It's about time for me to move on to bigger things and better people.'

She had decided yesterday that when she returned to the Sengoku Jidai, things would be different. She didn't have to worry about pushing InuYasha away anymore. She could be herself. She growled to herself. 'If the baka had waited another week I would have told him! I can't believe I was so stupid!'

Yes, Higurashi Kagome had a secret. One of many. But this secret she kept from everyone except her family. Her mother, her little brother and herself were youkai. Kitsune to be exact. Her time was full of them. Kitsune like herself were one of the only species of youkai left in the human world. The rest had fled to the Makai It was because of their natural talent for illusions that they were able to remain. They pretended to be humans and led normal human lives. All in all, it was much more peaceful in the Ningenkai and kitsune weren't by nature warriors. They prefered to have peace rather than battle.

However, she had told her adopted son the truth around a year ago. And just over two months ago two of her friends had discovered her secret.

She, Sango, Miroku, Shippou, InuYasha and Kirara had been off looking for shards again. That night they made camp and eventually everyone fell asleep. During the night they had been attacked by a giant youkai with two shards of the Shikon. After looking around for InuYasha and finding him gone, everyone began fighting the youkai. Unfortunately it was too strong due to the power of the shards and they were losing bad. Kagome was knocked unconscious and accidentally transformed into her true form. Sango managed to knock the shards out of the youkai's body with Hiraikotsu and Miroku sucked it into his kazaana. Kagome awoke and quickly purified the shards which lay near her before turning to her friends. She had been ready for almost any reaction, but not the one she recieved.

Sango had glomped her and begged to touch the silver ears atop her head which Sango quickly dubbed "more kawaii than InuYasha's." Miroku was staring at her stary-eyed and wondering if he should ask her to bare his child...again.

In the end she had explained to them and they agreed not to tell InuYasha. When he returned, they told him that they had defeated the youkai and Kagome had purified the shards. They didn't, however, question where he had been. Kagome told them before she changed back that she had smelled earth and bones nearby. He had been with Kikyou.

"Oi!" InuYasha shouted from his newly reaquired perch outside her window. "What'd you do that for?"

Kagome just huffed and turned her back on him. "For peeking in a girl's bedroom window at seven in the morning on a weekend! That's what!" She bent down and picked up the huge yellow bag she had packed the night before, tossing the supposedly very heavy bag on her back with ease. "Oh, and InuYasha?"

InuYasha recognized that tone. His ears lay back against his head, trying to shut out the sound of the next word out of her mouth. But it was in vain.

"OSUWARI!"

WHAM! He hit the ground again for the second time in under five minutes.

Racing down the stairs, Kagome heard her mother call to her from the kitchen.

"Does that crash I heard mean InuYasha's here?" her mother asked with a kind smile.

Entering the kitchen, Kagome sat her bag down in a chair and grabbed a piece of the toast her mother had made. Popping it in her mouth, she mumbled, "Umph-hmph. Heef hwer to tak mwe baf."

Her mother paused and raised an eyebrow. "Kagome, don't talk with food in your mouth."

Kagome just smiled and finished the toast in under a second. With a loud gulp she said, "Sorry. Yeah. He's here to take me back."

Her mother nodded once before asking, "Are you going now?" Kagome nodded before picking her bag up again. "So, are you going to tell him?" her mother asked cautiously. Kagome told her mother everything that had happened and she was afraid her daughter was in for major heartache if she insisted on continuing her game. As far as the woman was concerned, her daughter had two serious faults. One, very deep emotions that often caused her more grief than anything else. And two, her love of games.

All kitsune loved games. Kagome was no different. But she had a habit of taking them too far. Her mother had advised her to end her charade of being human, while in the past more than once. There were too many things that could seriously harm her without the aid of her youkai powers. But she insisted that it was all too fun to stop now. And that InuYasha would always protect her.

But now that had changed. Two years had passed and she could tell the strain of keeping the truth a secret was weighing on her daughter. She could also tell Kagome was getting bored. And a bored Kagome was a danger the world could never face and emerge the same.

"Hell no!" Kagome shouted, which earned her a disapproving look. Ducking her head she said quieter, "I mean, no okaasan. I'm not hiding myself anymore, other than my true form, so if he wants to know why I'm suddenly a lot stronger and have youkai powers, he's gonna have to figure it out for himself! I'm not telling him, unless he comes right out and asks me."

Her mother nodded. So she had found a new game already. But it was doubtful this game would last too long. The hanyou would get suspicious almost immediately. And with his blunt nature he would probably ask her straight out.

Kagome took her mother's nod as her cue that it was alright to leave. Rushing out the front door she almost collided with InuYasha who had placed himself in her way.

"You're not going to that 'skool', wench!" he shouted. "You're coming back and that's final!"

"Osuwari!" she cried, sending him to the ground for the third time that morning. 'This really is fun.' she chuckled to herself. Dancing around InuYasha's prone body on her way to the well house she said, "And why should I? Don't you have Kikyou to find the shards now?"

She heard InuYasha mumble something uninteligible into the dirt and stopped. "What?" she giggled, "InuYasha, speak up. I'm not a worm in that dirt. I'm over here."

He grumbled again but finally said, "Kikyou can't sense the shards anymore."

"What?" Kagome gasped astonished. "Why can't she?"

"I don't know." he muttered. "She says it's because your half of her...uh...your...the soul is becoming stronger and leeching power from her. She says...you're getting stronger while she's getting weaker...spirit wise."

Kagome laughed out loud, causing InuYasha to raise himself out of the dirt and look at her with a confused expression.

"Well!" Kagome laughed. "Isn't that fun?" At InuYasha's silence she continued on her way to the well house. "Well, it may not be fun to you, but I know several people who'll agree with me! Shall we see what Sango and Miroku think?"

"Wait!" he stuttered. "You mean, you're going back?"

Kagome leaped over the side of the well with InuYasha right behind her. "Follow me and see!" she said before she was consumed by the magic of the well.

Chapter Two:

The Demon Tree

Kagome emerged on the other side of the well five hundred years into the past. Without pausing she leapt nimbly out and landed lightly on the balls of her feet on the soft grass of Sengoku Jidai. Not two seconds later she felt the well activate again and an angry hanyou emerge. Smiling she said calmly, "Osuwari."

A cry resonated off the walls of the well followed by more foul words than she'd ever heard him utter, which was saying a lot. InuYasha seemed to get in touch with his whipped puppy side then and just muttered, "What crawled up her skirt and died?"

Kagome breathed in deep, taking in the pure scents of a world unpoluted by humans as she scanned the area. 'Oooh,' she thought, catching a familiar scent, 'this is gonna be good.' Then she giggled. 'Playtime...'

"InuYasha no baka!" she called into the well, "I'm going to the village! When you find whatever it is you've lost down there, say your pride, I'll be waiting for you!"

Then she leapt into a tree and seemed to disappear into the bark. What she had actually done was cast a simple illusion, covering all trace that she was there. It had been a long time since she got to play any really good tricks. And now she had the sudden unstoppable urge to play a little game with her friends. She didn't have long to wait as InuYasha leapt out of the well and looked around, searching for her.

"Hmph." he said, "Damn bitch musta run. I've told her running makes too much noise. Just makes her a target for demons."

At that moment a whirlwind entered the clearing and came to an abrupt stop...after running InuYasha over and making him a hanyou pancake of course.

Kouga stood with one foot on InuYasha's back and raised a hand to his eyes looking around him.

"Hey, inu-" he began, but an angry InuYasha flipped over and grabbed his leg, trying to send the wolf crashing to the ground. Kouga meerly kicked InuYasha in the face and leapt away. "As I was saying mutt, where's my woman?"

InuYasha jumped into a defensive position and cried, "She ain't your woman wolf! Get it through your thick head! Ouch!" A nut chose that moment to fall from a surrounding tree and happened to strike him on the head.

"What the hell's wrong with you?" Kouga asked boredly continuing to search the area for Kagome.

InuYasha pointed to the closest tree, a good twenty feet away, and angrily accused, "That tree attacked me!"

Kouga stared at him dumbfounded and said slowly, as if he hadn't heard right, "The tree...attacked you? Did I kick you that hard?"

"NO!" InuYasha bellowed. "I'm telling you, that tree attacked me!" He pointed at the tree again, hand shaking in anger.

Kouga just waved dismissivly. "Yeah, sure." He turned his back on InuYasha and began, "Now where's...Ouch!" He whirled around angrily to face the silver-haired hanyou with an attitude problem. "What'd ya do that for?" A nut had just sailed through the air and smacked Kouga in the back of the head.

InuYasha's got an almost innocent 'I-told-you-so' look and pointed at the tree again.

"Oh like I believe the tree is attacking us!" Kouga yelled. "You hit me! In the back of the head! Coward! OUCH!" Another nut hit Kouga, this time in the butt causing him to jump. Kouga narrowed his eyes at InuYasha and said, "Wait a minute. I was looking at you that time. You really didn't do it."

"That's what I said!" InuYasha returned as if it were obvious the tree did it.

Both youkai turned slowly to stare at the tree in bewilderment. They narrowed their eyes at it. They took up fighting stances, should the tree attack again of course. And they...stared.

"I wonder if it's a demon tree?" InuYasha wondered quietly.

"Don't be silly." Kouga said. "It's obviously a chipmunk demon throwing it's hoard at us."

At that moment an unstoppable barrage of nuts came flying out of the tree's lush green branches. Kouga and InuYasha's eyes grew wide in shock and panic as they tried to dodge the bombardment from beyond. Unfortunately there were just too many and in under a minute they were completely buried in nuts. Finally the attack stopped and a soft female giggle drifted over to their ears.

They looked at each other over the nuts, only their heads sticking out, rolled their eyes and said at the same time, "Kitsune."

InuYasha fought his way out of the pile cursing to himself. "Damn kitsune and their tricks! Remind me to pound Shippou just for being one!"

Kouga followed suit, pushing his way out of the large pile of nuts. He, of course, took the opposite side InuYasha was on. "Don't threaten him!" he exclaimed. "My woman loves him!"

From opposite sides of the considerable stack they glared at each other. Neither was willing to break eye contact. It was, by far, the strangest fight they had ever had. It was a battle of wills and neither looked about to lose.

To the casual observer it may seem even stranger. A pile of nuts. Two youkai, one on either side. Both in ready crouches, staring each other in the eye. Yes, it was strange. Even stranger that the two usually solved their difference with fists! Not that anything was ever solved though.

After staring at each other angrily for a few minutes Kouga declared, "Well, it's obvious my woman is not here and I certainly don't wanna look at your ugly face any longer than nessacery!"

"Say that to my face!" InuYasha growled.

Kouga just grinned superiorly. "I did." he said.

And that was the beginning of yet another fight between the two rival males.

Chapter Three:

Miko Standoff

Kagome was feeling pretty satisfied with herself as she skipped happily through the forest. 'What fun!' she thought cheerfully. 'It's been so long since I've been able to just be myself and have a little fun!'

Pausing she looked up at the sky, partially hidden by the high thick trees. Fluffy white clouds could be seen through the gaps in the trees. The brilliant sun shone down, casting dappled light across the forest floor. Stretching her arms out over her head she smiled. "Hmm!" she groaned, feeling her muscles stretch. "Today is a good day." she said aloud.

However she caught a scent on the gentle breeze that told her the good day was about to take a decidedly bad turn. Sure enough, Miroku came running up the path towards her. His purple robes fluttering out and his gold staff clinked rapidly as he ran. His scent was tinged with a concern bordering on fear.

"Kagome-sama!" he called upon spotting her and raced directly for her.

"Miroku?" she questioned as he stopped before her and gasped, trying to catch his breath. "What's wrong?"

He hurriedly began to explain. "Kagome-sama!" he said. "There's trouble at the village!"

Kagome's eyes widened and she put her hands on his shoulders. "What kind of trouble?" she asked, now very worried.

He took several deep breaths before saying, "Kikyou trouble." At her silence he continued, "Run with me, Kagome-sama! We need to get back fast!"

She nodded and they took off together toward the village, Kagome running at his pace. As they raced through the forest he explained, "Sango-san and I hoped you had returned so I went to find you. A few hours ago a wounded kitsune female stumbled into the village. She was looking for you because she heard you were a powerful miko who traveled with a hanyou. She thought she could get help from you, as you are a miko who does not hate all demons. Before dying she told us that Naraku had attacked she and her mate. Her mate gave his life to allow her time to escape, but she was wounded in her flight. She died soon after making us promise to give you something. Apparently Naraku wasn't after the two adults. He wanted their infant child. Sango-san and Kaede-sama are watching the baby, but Kikyou insists she be allowed to kill it!"

"What?" Kagome interrupted.

Miroku just nodded. "She says that because it's a youkai it's her duty to kill it. We've tried reasoning with her, but she isn't listening. Quite honestly we don't know what to do."

Kagome narrowed her eyes angrily. 'How dare she try to kill a child!' she ranted to herself. 'An infant at that! Incapable of protecting itself!'

Glancing once at Miroku she said deathly calm, "I'm going ahead." Then she turned and was gone in a flurry of wind that would make Kouga jealous.

'Good luck, Kagome-sama.' Miroku thought to himself as he picked up his pace, hoping to arrive before the fireworks were over.

Kagome managed to arrive in mere second and found that the entire village had stopped whatever they had been doing to watch the frightening standoff. On one side was their beloved long-dead priestess, Kikyou. On the other side was her younger sister, a youkai tajiya and a kitsune kit. The villagers had gathered around them in a circle, giving them all wide berth. For the villagers they were most decidedly torn. On one hand Kikyou was their miko who had given her life to protect the Shikon no Tama and their village. But Kaede was now their village miko and both Sango and Shippou had earned their trust and respect. They honestly didn't know who to back.

"Kikyou!" Kagome shouted as she entered the village, slowing to a more human speed.

All eyes turned her way as she quickly made her way through the crowd who backed away from her in reverence.

"Kagome-chan!" Sango cried in relief, cradling a small bundle in her arms. "Houshi-sama found you!"

Kagome nodded and slowly walked past Kikyou, eyeing her warily. The dead woman returned her gaze with cold fire blazing in her eyes. Kagome chanced turning her back on Kikyou and stopped in front of Sango.

"Miroku told me what was happening." she said to her friend. "Is this the child?" she asked gesturing to the bundle in Sango's arms.

Sango nodded and pulled back the blanket wrapped protectively around it. A lock of silver hair fell over the side and a pair of fuzzy silver ears atop it's head twitched at the sudden noises that had been dampened previously by the blanket. The baby woke from it's peaceful slumber and opened it's eyes to look questioningly at Kagome. They were both as blue as sapphires. A single baby fang hung over it's slightly parted lips and a hand tipped in tiny claws reached up towards her. Kagome took the tiny hand in hers and the baby instinctively wrapped it's fingers around her own.

"I see." Kagome said softly. "He's a Jikan (time) kitsune. That explains why Naraku wants him." Her eyes, previously full of anger, softened as the baby cooed up at her. She smiled gently and said to him, "Don't worry, chibi. I'll keep you safe." Then she gently removed her fingers from his grasp and turned to face Kikyou.

Before Kagome could say anything Kikyou stated, "It is a demon. It must die. It can only bring trouble to this village."

Kagome's eyes flashed with anger and she replied as calmly as possible, "He is just a baby. A special one. And I will not allow you to harm him. InuYasha may have allowed you to join us, but I promise you...you do not have a place here and you do not have any say in this matter."

Kikyou narrowed her eyes at her reincarnation. Her dislike of the situation was apparent. "If InuYasha did not consider you his friend, I would have killed you already."

That was the last straw. Kagome threw up her hands and cried, "Oh, like you haven't tried before! You are so dead set on killing me and dragging InuYasha to Hell that anyone can see it!" Kagome swung her arm around motioning to the villagers surrounding them. "Look at them! You were a legend dead! You were the great Shikon no Tama no Miko who died in her duty, protecting her village and the jewel. But now, look at them! They fear you! You're the walking dead! You are just a glimmer of the great woman you used to be! You don't belong in this world and you don't belong in this village!" Kagome paused as her words sunk in. She took a breathe and a moment to compose herself before continuing. "You...and I. We share several things in common, and not just our soul. The Shikon no Tama, our hatred of Naraku, our devotion to duty...and our love for InuYasha. And the reason I have decided to allow you to join us, with little protest, is because InuYasha is my friend. And however sick and twisted I think it is, he does still love you." Here she advanced on the undead miko until they were mere inches apart. A silent war of wills raged as the two women stared into each other's eyes, both so similar and yet so far apart. "Understand this." Kagome said in a soft voice full of determination. "I will not allow you to harm InuYasha. And in the end, one of us must die. And you...are already dead." Having put in her two cents Kagome turned her back on the angry miko and returned to Sango's side.

Shippou, having previously been hiding behind the aging priestess Kaede, left his safe place and leapt into his surrogate mother's chest. He hugged her neck tight and said, "That was scary, okaasan! I thought you were never coming back and Kikyou was gonna kill all us demons! Promise you'll never leave me alone with her again!"

Kagome chuckled and petted his soft fur soothingly. "You weren't alone, Shippou-chan. I'm sure Miroku and Sango would have protected you. But...I promise. I won't leave you again."

Shippou seemed content with this and perched happily on her shoulder, after sticking his tongue out at Kikyou. He looked at the now squirming baby in Sango's arms and said, "Wow, so it's really a Jikan kitsune? They're really rare, aren't they?"

The action apparently over, all the villagers began to return to their chores. Kikyou remained as a rock, staying in her place and glaring at the group who was now ignoring her. Kaede came up to Kagome's side and asked, "Kagome, child, what is a Jikan kitsune?"

Sango's eyes bulged out of her head. "You mean, you don't know, Kaede-sama?" she asked incredulously. "I mean, I don't know myself, but I thought with your vast knowledge you would have some information on them!"

Kaede shook her head and said, "No, I have never heard of such a creature. It is common knowledge that kitsune come in various forms and colors. Red, such as our friend, Shippou. Then there are black, brown, orange. Some have pointed ears, some have ears atop their heads. But I've never seen anything like this child before." Here she gestured to the baby.

At that moment a cry of dismay reached their ears and they looked over to see Miroku standing behind them. "I can't believe I missed it all!" he cried. "I wanted to see what Kagome-sama did!"

Sango and Kagome laughed and Sango said, "You should have seen her, houshi-sama. She...what was that phrase you used, Kagome-chan? Oh yes! She told her exactly where to stick it!" Then they laughed more at his crestfallen look. Even the baby joined in with his own giggles.

Their laughter was cut short though as a certain hanyou dropped out of a tree. After a tense minute where they all stared at each other, he turned, put his arm around Kikyou and led her off saying, "Come tell me what happened."

Kagome shook her head. "Honestly, he is so blind. Can't he see she doesn't love him the same way he loves her? Not anymore." She sighed sadly, but then thought, 'No, I don't love him that way anymore. He's my friend and I'll protect him from her...but he's just my friend.' Her demeanor quickly shifted. She put on a bright smile and looked at her friends. "Well!" she said happily. "Why don't we all go to Kaede's and I'll tell you what I know!"

Chapter Four:

Explainations

Kagome, Sango, and Miroku took their places on the floor of Kaede's hut. Shippou remained on Kagome's shoulder and Sango still held the baby in her arms. Kaede set a pot on to boil for tea and then also sat down to hear what Kagome knew.

"Now, child." the old miko said, "Tell us about this Jikan Kitsune."

Kagome nodded and began. "Well, a Jikan Kitsune is different from ordinary kitsune. Basically a Jikan is the Sesshoumaru of the kitsunes, a taiyoukai. As the name suggests they have some kind of connection with time. Exactly what that connection is no one knows. It's a closely guarded secret. It generally is assumed they have a power that allows them to live for longer periods of time than others...but everyone has a different opinion." Kagome paused and looked off into space, trying to remember the hours of lessons she had endured to learn about youkai specifics from her mother. "A Jikan is characterized by silver hair, a silver tail, furred ears set atop it's head and gold or blue eyes, blue being slightly less common. They have powers over one or more elements and have a natural ability for combat. As with other types of kitsune they have a love of games and tricks, however they never use them in battle preferring instead to rely on their abilities and strength. Jikan kitsune are extremely rare and while two Jikan who mate will produce Jikan children, sometimes a Jikan will randomly appear in another kind of kitsune family with no history of Jikan blood."

Kagome stopped here and looked at Kaede. "What was the female who came here?" she asked curiously.

Kaede said simply, "She was brown."

Kagome nodded. "Yes, well. That makes sense. One of the reasons Jikan are so rare is because they are very selective about their mates. They will only mate with another Jikan and only for life. They may have other sexual partners, but they never consider them true mates. If Naraku had found out about this child he would have seen an opportunity to gain it's power, raising it from birth himself and insuring it's loyalty." Suddenly Kagome's eyes grew large.

"Kagome-chan?" Sango asked worriedly. Her friend looked as if she had just seen the evil hanyou appear in front of them.

"He'll be coming." Kagome whispered suddenly frightened.

Miroku seemed to understand and said, "You're right, Kagome-sama!" He jumped to his feet and grabbed his staff. "If Naraku wants that child he will be coming for it!"

Ripples of understanding flooded the hut. Naraku would be coming for the child. And they would have to face him. Kagome shook her head frantically. "We can't fight him here." she said. "Too many people would be hurt. And I...I wouldn't be able to fight at full power."

Sango smiled reassuringly, lay a comforting hand on Kagome's shoulder and said softly, "The people of this village trust and respect you. I don't believe they would think any less of you if they knew the truth, Kagome-chan."

Kaede didn't like this. She didn't understand what they were speaking of and it appeared they were keeping secrets from her. Also, something else bothered her. "Child," she began, "how do you know of these special type of kitsune when we do not?"

Kagome looked up at the woman and sighed. She supposed it was time. And she hated keeping this from her. "Kaede-obaachan, there is something I need to tell you, but...well, I suppose it would be better just to show you." She then turned to look at Miroku and said, "Miroku-sama, would you stand guard outside in case Kikyou and InuYasha come back?"

Miroku nodded and said, "Of course, Kagome-sama. But I don't know how long I would be able to stall them if they returned."

Sango winked at Miroku playfully and with a smile on her face said, "Just tell them we're bathing and they're both under threat of Hiraikotsu if they come in."

Miroku actually blushed and looked a bit stunned at Sango's sudden and unexpected flirtatious behavior, but finally shook his head, chuckled and went to take his post outside.

Kagome turned her attention back to the task at hand and closed her eyes. Shippou left her shoulder finally as wisps of silver smoke formed around her.

Leaping onto Kaede's shoulder instead he whispered excitedly to the old woman, "Mite! Mite!"

Kagome's hair lifted slightly as the magic swirled around her and then grew longer until it reached the floor. (A/Nshe's sitting down remember, so that makes it about butt-length) Her hair turned a shimmering silver and tufts of hair grew from the top of her head and formed two silver ears, much like InuYasha's. The fingernails of her hands resting on her thighs became razor sharp claws and she visibly grew in height. From under the edge of her short skirt a long silver tail made it's appearance, mixing with her hair on the floor. When she opened her eyes, they were gold.

Kaede gasped in awe as those piercing eyes watched her, gauging her response. They weren't the eyes of a child, human or other. They were the eyes of a predator, cold and calculating. Her silver hair made her seem divine, but those eyes bespoke of a predatory demon lying in wait.

"My word, child!" she exclaimed. "Such a secret to have kept all this time! Why did you not tell us?"

Kagome smiled rather wickedly, though it was just instinct to her, and a fang hung over her lip. "It was a game." she said simply in a low, calm voice. "Now you see me for what I am. A Jikan Kitsune miko. Though the Bone Eater's Well has powers of it's own, it was my ability to manipulate time that allowed me to travel back here. Not the Shikon no Tama itself. The Shikon increased my powers enough to allow me to utilize the power of the well. And this is why I recognized the child for what it is, what we are. We are the same."

Kaede nodded, deep in thought. "Yes," she mumbled to herself, "that makes sense. I'd always wondered why you can travel through time with the aid of the Shikon no Kakera and no one else. Though, it doesn't explain InuYasha." She directed her gaze back at Kagome and asked, "Why is it that InuYasha is able to travel between times?"

Kagome shrugged dismissively and said, "Who knows? I surely don't."

Kagome hadn't known what reaction to expect from the elderly miko, but this calm acceptance and understanding hadn't been high on her list. Though she should have realized she would act this way. After all, she certainly wasn't like her grandfather. Kagome had a sudden image of Kaede reacting the same way her jii-chan had reacted and laughed.

Sango looked at her and asked, "What's so funny, Kagome-chan?"

Kagome laughed some more and then said, "I was just remembering when my mother told my grandfather the truth about us. She had sat him down and calmly explained it to him, and he had promptly asked if she had been drinking. So she called in my brother and I and together we all transformed to prove it. Jii-chan screamed like a woman and, after running to his room shouting that the demons were after him, came back downstairs and plastered us all with his fake ofudas!"

Sango laughed with her and said, "I wish I could have seen that!"

Kaede began to chuckle, but then stopped. "Kagome?" she asked. After the two had stopped laughing she continued, "How long ago was that? You once said your brother is nine, didn't you?"

Kagome looked thoughtful and said, "Yes, Souta's nine. Ummm...I think it was about fourteen years ago. And I think jii-chan seems to have blocked out that particular memory." Then she giggled again.

Sango didn't giggle with her though. "Kagome-chan, how is that possible?" she asked. "You would have only been two years old, maybe three. And your brother wouldn't have been born."

Shippou piped up with, "That's because my okaasan isn't really seventeen! Right? Youkai age differently, especially her kind!"

Kagome nodded and patted the little kit on the head with a smile. "Yes, you're right, Shippou-chan."

Sango looked puzzled and asked, "So, how old are you really, Kagome-chan? If you don't mind me asking."

Kagome grinned and replied without hesitation, "Three hundred and twenty-six, and proud of it. Souta is forty-three."

Sango and Kaede's mouths dropped open, their voices refusing to work. A cry from the baby broke the stunned silence and Sango immediately turned her attention to it. She began frantically rocking it back and forth, trying to silence it's cries, to no avail.

She looked a bit lost as she admitted, "I...uh... I don't really know what I'm doing here."

Kagome held out her arms and said, "Here, let me try. I helped kaasan with Souta when he was a baby."

Sango passed her the baby and Kagome took him in her arms. She rocked him gently and hummed and soon his cries subsided to mere whimpers.

"Wow." Sango breathed. "You're good."

Kagome smiled and said, "There was many a night I rocked Souta to sleep while kaasan rested. But the reason he's crying is because he's hungry." She looked up at Kaede and asked, "Is there a wet nurse in the village?" Kaede shook her head and Kagome continued, "Oh well. I don't think that would work anyway. He may be a baby, but he is a youkai. His fangs have already grown in. That would be dangerous for any human woman who nursed him. I'll just have to take him to my time and buy a bottle. And some other things of course."

Sango spoke up as an idea hit her. "Kagome-chan, Naraku is going to be looking for him. So why don't you just keep him in your time where he'll be safe? You're old enough to claim him as yours. In fact, I'm surprised you don't have a mate yet."

Kagome chuckled at her words. "Yes, so is my mother. But my kind have high standards." she explained. "We only mate with others of our kind to ensure our offspring be pure. And it's hard to find another Jikan in my time."

Kaede agreed with Sango's reasoning. "Even if you can't keep him in your time," she said, "if you were to claim him as your child Naraku would be a fool to try to take him. To come between a mother and her child, especially a youkai mother, is a dangerous thing indeed."

Kagome nodded and was about to respond when she heard a ruckus outside the hut.

"Oi!" InuYasha's voice shouted. "I don't care if they're bathing! Kikyou's a woman! She can go in! I wanna know what the wench thinks she's doing protecting that thing! Kikyou says it's dangerous!"

Kagome's eyes narrowed in anger. Now, while normally that look could make even InuYasha cower, with her in her youkai form it was even more terrifying. Sango, Shippou and Kaede covered their ears in anticipation. Poor Kirara, who had been napping in a corner all this time, was awakened in a most unpleasant manner as Kagome screamed, "OSUWARI!"

A loud thud was her answering cry.

Kirara quickly leapt to her feet and her fur bristled. She hissed loudly and her eyes darted around the hut searching for any sign of danger. Upon seeing a scowling Kagome and hearing the grumbled curses from outside she rolled her cat eyes and curled back up on her bed, aka Sango's bag, and fell instantly back asleep.

Kagome took a deep breath and in a flash she was back in her human form.

Standing up, she grabbed her large yellow bag in one hand while holding the baby in the other. "Sango-chan, Kaede-obaachan, I'm going home to buy some baby stuff. I don't know what I'm gonna do after that, but I'll be back probably tomorrow." She threw the bag onto her back effortlessly as Shippou leaped up from the floor to her shoulder.

"You're not leaving me here again!" he demanded, clinging furiously to her neck. "Last time InuYasha kicked me and Kikyou threatened to boil me in oil if I didn't stop whining!"

Kagome looked at him crossly and said, "Did that really happen?" When the kit nodded she glowered angrily at the door. "Why that little..!" she raged. "Alright, Shippou-chan. You can come with me." She turned and stormed out as Sango and Kaede shook their heads in disgust.

"Perhaps," Kaede said, "If InuYasha knew that Kagome was a kitsune and had claimed Shippou as her own he would not be so foolhardy in angering her."

"Perhaps" Sango replied sipping her newly aquired tea calmly, "but I doubt it."

The two women looked at each other in silent agreement.

Kagome stomped outside and purposefully ran into Kikyou, shoving the clay woman hard with her shoulder while protecting the baby in her arms. She walked straight up to InuYasha, ignoring the deathglares Kikyou was sending her, and promptly kicked him in the knee!

InuYasha fell to the ground in surprise as he grabbed his leg and howled in pain. "Bitch!" he yelled. "What the hell was that for?"

"For hurting Shippou!" she screamed back. "And OSUWARI!"

The already in pain hanyou's face was yanked into the ground as he cursed her once again. Kikyou was about to give Kagome some choice words and help her beloved up off the ground when Kagome whirled on her.

Kagome walked up to Kikyou and stared into her face. "Oh," she said conversationally, "and Kikyou?" She paused here, though she didn't expect a response from the woman who had her face. She smiled sweetly and Kikyou took a fearful step back. Suddenly her smile faded into an angry glare. "TAKE THIS YOU CREEPY BITCH!" she yelled at the top of her lungs, which is pretty loud, and kicked HER in the shin!

Shippou could contain himself no longer and burst out laughing. The baby in her arms laughed as well as the dead woman fell to the ground, clasping both hands around her leg and gasping in pain.

Kagome breathed a sigh of relief and smiled brightly. "Ah!" she exclaimed, "I feel better!" Looking back at the two fallen she said, "Well, it's been fun but I'm going home now. You can expect me back tomorrow. And InuYasha?" The hanyou cringed upon hearing his name. He was certain another sit was on his way. But instead she just said, "If you come after me I promise I'll give you a long and torturous death. Maybe I'll lock you in a room with your brother, tell him you called him a crossdresser and watch as he carves you up. Well, ja!"

And just like that, she was gone. Well, she appeared to be to everyone looking on. Which was to say, EVERYONE was looking on! The entire village had once again ground to a halt for the second time that morning to watch the mini-battle taking place. They were also all laughing at the two rolling on the ground in pain.

'Damn bitch!' InuYasha thought to himself. 'How the hell'd she disappear? And why the hell'd her kick hurt so much?' Out loud he shouted, "What the fuck is going on here and WHY THE HELL IS EVERYONE AGAINST ME!" To which the villagers laughed again.

Chapter Five:

Caught!

Kagome reached the well in record time. Looking down into the darkness of the well she thought, 'I think physical violence works better with InuYasha than the magic of the rosary! Well, at least it stunned him long enough for me to get away!' She giggled and said out loud, "I wonder what he thinks is wrong with me."

Shippou giggled from her shoulder and said, "I bet he thinks you're really mad at Kikyou and it's driven you insane!"

She laughed at that. "You're probably right, Shippou-chan." she replied. "But I kicked him a little harder than I should have...both of them actually. I think he might have some suspicions already."

The baby squirmed in her arms and she looked down into his gentle blue eyes. "How could anyone think you're evil?" she wondered. She ran her fingers along his tiny ears and he purred happily in response. "Well, I don't think InuYasha got a good smell of your scent, so I guess it's safe to do as Sango suggested. If I claim you now as mine and alter your scent InuYasha no baka won't realize it."

Kagome could see her mother's reaction to the baby now. She had been urging her daughter to take a more active role in finding a mate for years now and was dieing for grandchildren. She would squeal over him and insist on buying him things. Basically go into full grandmother mode. And once Kagome claimed him fully as her child his scent would change to echo her own. Really the purpose of changing the scent was to fool other youkai. If they knew the child was adopted, other youkai would be more likely to attack it. But if the scent told them that it was her biological child they would be a bit more hesitant.

Shippou picked up a strand of Kagome's hair and began nervously twirling it between his little fingers. "Okaasan?" he asked weakly.

Kagome turned her attention to him and asked, "What is it, Shippou-chan?"

He fiddled for a minute more before saying softly, "Well, I was wondering...since you're gonna claim him as your own... Would you do that for me too? I mean, it's not that I mind being your 'adopted' son, but...I wanna be your real son too."

Kagome's eyes softened at his words. "Shippou-chan," she began to explain gently, "you know that if I were to do that InuYasha would recognize the change. And he would be especially suspicious if your scent matched the baby's."

"Yeah." Shippou whined back, "but you're not gonna keep your secret from him for much longer right? So wouldn't it just be funny to watch him be all confused about it for a while?"

Kagome chuckled. She had to admit, he was right. It would certainly be funny to see. "Alright." she relented. "But let's do it on the other side of the well. I don't want InuYasha no baka to catch us."

Shippou nodded and Kagome wasted no time in leaping feet-first into the well. Actually she had caught several familiar scents approaching them on the wind and certainly didn't want to be around when they arrived.

Kouga rushed into the clearing for the second time that morning. He could've sworn he smelled his woman again...but once again, the scent had disappeared before he arrived.

Two seconds later InuYasha ran smack into him, knocking him to the ground and then proceeded to step on him as he made a beeline for the well. "Come back here, wench!" he shouted.

But Kouga wasn't about to let that slide. Mimicking InuYasha earlier he grabed the foot on his midsection and twisted. Unlike InuYasha he succeded in bringing the offender down. InuYasha fell onto his stomach in suprise, the wind quickly expelling from his lungs. Unfortunatly, the way he had twisted landed him right on top of the mangy wolf. And at that exact moment another player entered the clearing for his obligatory "Give me Tetsusaiga" scene.

"Give me Tetsus..." Sesshoumaru began but trailed off as he saw his little brother laying nose to nose on top of the wolf prince, panting for breath. With the shock of finding his little brother in such a scene, he almost made an expression! All he could do was stare, for once completely at a loss for words.

"InuYasha!" an annoying voice drifted through the trees, followed by the clay bitch herself. "Let the wench go. She's just my reinca..car...car...nation." She stopped dead in her tracks as she saw the strange and almost disturbing scene before her.

InuYasha, HER InuYasha, lay atop his arch rival gasping for breath while his elder brother looked on in what could only be described as complete and absolute horror. Which explained the slight widening of his eyes.

"NOOOO!" she shrieked. "You said you loved ME!" Then she turned her back and fled back into the forest from whence she came.

On her way back into the trees she bumped into Miroku, but kept going. 'I wonder what that was all about.' the houshi thought to himself. But he didn't have long to wait as he emerged from the trees and also saw the sight. Unlike Sesshoumaru, he was not frozen in horror. And unlike the two youkai laying on the ground he was not frozen in terror. Instead he grinned, reached into his robes and pulled out a disposable camera. Of course, the other three had no clue what it was and mearly stared at him.

Kouga and InuYasha had yet to budge from their position and their shocked, terrified gazes had gone from Sesshoumaru, to Kikyou and now to Miroku. When Miroku brought the camera up to his eye and pressed the button a FLASH! brought them somewhat to their senses.

InuYasha suddenly realized exactly what that was. The wench had brought one with her before and he remembered that it captured images. Suddenly realizing what Miroku was doing, he attempted to leap to his feet. However, Kouga had also at that moment made to get up and they smacked heads with each other.

InuYasha fell back on his butt but managed to catch himself with a hand and hold his head with his other. Kouga, however, wasn't so lucky. He pitched forward and fell face first into InuYasha's lap. Needless to say it was a very suggestive position. FLASH! Another picture was taken by the hentai houshi!

InuYasha's eyes went wide and he grabbed Kouga by his ponytail, pulling his head up. "Get offa me you stupid wolf!" he shouted, only to find that Kouga was out cold. InuYasha lost his grip on the hair and Kouga once again pitched forward. This time his arms flailed out, knocking InuYasha's arm he was using for balance out from under him. InuYasha fell backwards and Kouga fell on top of him. InuYasha, of course, tried to stop it and reached out to grab Kouga's falling body. But instead he misjudged the distance and Kouga fell neatly in between his arms, his head coming to rest on the hanyou's chest. FLASH! ANOTHER picture!

"MIROKU!" InuYasha howled from under the wolf prince's limp body. "I'M GONNA TEAR YOU INTO BITE-SIZED PIECES!"

"Uh-oh!" Miroku cried as he saw InuYasha strugling to free himself again. The houshi tore off into the forest as fast as his terrified legs could take him, after turning around to once more FLASH! He couldn't resist shouting back a last taunting cry of, "I bet the village will get a kick out of these!"

"HOUSHI!" InuYasha screamed in mounting rage as Miroku's continuing laughter reached his ears.

This entire time Sesshoumaru had remained stunned in place and InuYasha turned his glare on him. "Sesshoumaru!" he demanded. "Get this baka wolf offa me!"

Sesshoumaru blinked twice at him and then actually smirked. "Little brother," he said in his normal monotone, however this time a hint of amusement threatened to show through, "shouldn't you take this somewhere more private?" Then he turned his back and began to walk calmly and gracefully away.

"Sesshoumaru!" InuYasha yelled at his departing brother's back. "What kinda brother are you? Don't leave me here like this! SESSHOUMARU!" After he didn't get any reply, which he sorta expected, he stopped yelling himself hoarse and settled down. "Damn, you're heavy." he mumbled to the still unconscious wolf. He tried pushing him off again, now that he was calmer and in better control. Afterall, no one was watching him now...or snapping pictures. Unfortunately Kouga unconsciously wrapped both arms around the hanyou's tense body and held on tight.

"Kagome." the wolf mumbled in his sleep and snuggled into InuYasha's chest.

InuYasha rolled his eyes. "Even unconscious she's all he thinks about." InuYasha tried for a good twenty minutes to make him let go before giving up. "Well, he's gotta come around sometime." he reasoned. "And it'll certainly be worth a couple hours of him clinging to me if I can embarass him good when he wakes up." And with that decided, InuYasha lay back down to wait it out.

Unseen from a bush a pair of crimson eyes watched them. Before departing a voice said, "Kukuku."

On the other side, Kagome started to leap out of the well, but heard noises from outside. It sounded like...people. Lot's of them. Suddenly she smacked her head in realization. "The field trip!" she cried. "I forgot all about it! MY school is having a field trip to MY shrine! If they find I'm not here...they'll know I'm not really sick! We've got to hurry!"

In a flash she transformed into her true form and Shippou hopped down from her shoulder. "Shippou-chan?" she said bending down to his level. "Can you hold the baby? You two need to be together so I can claim you both at the same time."

He nodded and she handed him the baby which he took gently into his small arms. Kagome took a step back from them and closed her eyes. A gentle wind blew only in the confined space of the well and she chanted softly under her breath.

"Damn it!" Yusuke cursed upon counting the five hundreth step they'd climbed. "Why the hell do we have to go chasing after some kitsune that isn't even a threat?"

"Because," Kurama said calmly, "this particular kitsune is a miko. A youkai miko is very uncommon and Koenma believes we could benefit from her friendship. Which is why you and I were sent alone. Kuwabara's...enthusiasm...may frighten her away. And Hiei is not the friendly type."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever." Yusuke groaned as they reached the top. "Finally." he sighed. "No more steps." Then his eyes narrowed angrily. "Oh you have GOT to be kidding me!"

Standing before them was a large crowd of teenage girls all dressed in green-and-white sailor fukus.

"How many of those do you think happen to be seventeen years old and have black hair?" Yusuke asked sarcastically. "Why couldn't the toddler have given us more details?"

"Because," Kurama began, "That is all the information we have on her. A female kitsune with miko powers. Seventeen years old, black hair, currently located at Higurashi Shrine."

"Yeah," Yusuke complained. "But he couldn't have even given us a name?"

"He did not believe we would need it. Normally there would not be many teenage girls at a shrine while school is in attendance."

"Well that's certainly not the case now, is it?" Yusuke complained. "What are we supposed to do? Go up to every girl and ask her if she's a demon in disguise?"

Yusuke's attention was diverted though as he heard one girl whisper, "Hey, Yuka. Look over there."

"Yeah." another girl whispered back. "Nice. His friend's not too bad either."

Yusuke groaned and glanced over to the whispering girls. There were three of them, and they were looking directly at a certain red-haired bishounen with big, star-filled eyes.

"I can't take you anywhere, can I?" Yusuke asked Kurama with a roll of his eyes.

"Nani?" Kurama asked as he had been gazing over the crowd, searching for their target and not listening to what Yusuke had heard. He didn't have long to wonder though as all three girls seemed to materialize in front of him.

"Hi." one breathed while staring adoringly up at him. "I'm Yuka. Are you single by any chance?"

Kurama took a startled step back as the other two giggled shyly.

'We don't have time for this.' he thought. 'But I don't want to hurt their feelings.' Luckily Kurama had been in this situation before.

He smiled sweetly at them and said, "Actually, I'm afraid I'm already in a serious relationship. We're very much in love and even ladies as beautiful as you are not able to sway my heart."

All three sighed half in disappointment and half in awe.

"That's okay." Yuka said. "It's good to be in love."

"Yeah." her friend agreed. "He's very lucky to have someone like you. Well, ja!" And with that they turned and left.

Kurama could only stare as they walked back to their group. "H.he?" he sputtered. "They think I'm..."

"Hahahahaha!" Yusuke burst out laughing. "Yeah!" he agreed as he held his sides while continuing to laugh. "Hiei's really lucky!"

Kurama spun to face Yusuke in shock. "Hiei?" he asked. "But...we're not...I mean..."

Kurama's fevered denial was cut short though as both boys suddenly froze and their eyes began darting back and forth across the shrine.

"Youki." Yusuke said quietly. "Do you feel it, Kurama?"

Kurama nodded his agreement. "Powerful." he responded. "I believe..." his eyes searched the crowd until they came to rest on the sacred well house. "There." he stated with certainty.

Both boys nodded and cautiously began to make their way over to it. After checking to make sure no one was watching them, they slid the door open and slipped silently inside, making sure to close it again behind them. They didn't see anything in the darkness, but they could definately feel a powerful youki surrounding them. They were surprised when they heard a small child-like whimper come from the well followed by a "Shh!"

A flash of silver suddenly rose up from the well and took it's place opposite them with it's back facing the wall. Yusuke could only stare at the gorgeous creature that now stood before them. And Kurama felt he were going to pass out! It couldn't be! Jikan?

Kagome narrowed her golden eyes at them and growled deep in her chest. These two didn't feel like humans, at least not completely. Her miko's powers were tugging at her senses and telling her they had youkai blood, even though her nose told her they were human. Now she was glad she had changed her clothes from her school uniform to a more fitting outfit. The one she normally wore in her youkai form. A chinese style, silver fighting kimono. If they were looking for a fight, or to hurt her newly claimed kits, she would need to move freely and her uniform certainly didn't give her that option.

Shippou peeked out from behind her head to get a look at the enemy and quickly ducked back. They smelled human, but if his okaasan said they were dangerous then it had to be true.

Kagome took a step backwards until her back pressed into the rough wooden wall of the well house. She growled once again in warning, louder this time, and clutched the baby to her chest. One of them had taken a step towards her.

Kurama placed a hand on Yusuke's arm and pulled him back. "Don't." he said calmly.

Yusuke gave him a confused look and questioned, "What? Why not? Isn't she who we're looking for?"

Kurama nodded but never took his eyes off her. He nodded toward her and said, "Look. She has kits."

Yusuke took in the baby in her arms and the little hand clutching her shoulder from behind. "So?" he asked, still confused.

Kurama almost felt the need to roll his eyes, but knew that to take his eyes off her would be foolhardy. "Yusuke, what happens when you back an animal into a corner and it feels threatened with nowhere to go?"

Yusuke thought for a minute before saying slowly, "It...fights back?"

Kurama nodded again and said, "And what happens if that animal happens to be a mother protecting her offspring?"

Before Yusuke could respond Kagome spoke up. "Who are you?" she asked, her words dripping poison. "If you were sent by Naraku I promise I'll tear you apart before I let you have my son."

Yusuke just looked even more confused. "Naraku?" he questioned. "Who's that?"

Kurama was shocked again. Not only was she a silver kitsune like him, she also knew of the evil hanyou Naraku! And why would she think they were sent by him? He's been dead for five hundred years! "No." he said to her. "We were not sent by Naraku. We were sent by Koenma to gain your friendship. If you are in fact the youkai miko?"

Kagome nodded slowly, but she still didn't trust them Sent by Koenma? Well, that certainly was new if they WERE from Naraku. But still...she couldn't trust them yet. "Prove it." she said.

Now Yusuke and Kurama were stumped. How were they supposed to prove it? It's not like Koenma had given them employee badges or anything! Yusuke began going through his pockets, pulling out various gadgets the toddler had given him, hoping they would prove their legitimacy.

Kagome watched as he continued to rifle through his clothes, piling strange looking objects on the floor and muttering about demented toddlers.

Kurama finally spoke up and said, "Actually, we have no way to prove it. Unless you agree to come with us. But I doubt that you will."

Kagome narrowed her eyes at him. The other one seemed so clueless he couldn't be a threat, kind of like InuYasha. But that one...he seemed too wise to be just a human teenager. "What are you?" she asked carefully. "You smell human, but you have very well disguised youki. Both of you, in fact." Her gaze flicked to Yusuke and back to the one she deemed more of a potential threat.

Kurama allowed a smile to grace his lips. He knew this would come up. "I am a kitsune spirit in the body of a human." he said calmly. "And I assure you, we mean you no harm."

Kagome continued to study him. It was true, if he were a kitsune, she could trust him. Kitsune weren't by nature violent and would never harm their own. But it would be too easy to say he is a kitsune when he is not in order to gain her trust. She needed proof. "Let me see your true form then." she said finally.

Chapter Six:

Diverting Discovery

Kurama nodded knowingly and Yusuke took a step away from him. Kagome watched as his youki flared and small wisps of silver began to fill the well house.

'He can't be.' Kagome thought to herself as she watched spellbound. In all her three hundred years she had only met one other like herself, and that one had been female. But there was no denying it. His scent was changing, and she recognized it as a male Jikan kitsune. His youki was becoming frighteningly familiar. Everything pointed to one thing.

"Hey, what's in here?" a female voice interrupted from outside.

Kurama immediately stopped his transformation and spun around to face the door.

"That," Kagome heard her grandfather's voice say, "is the shrine that houses the Bone Eater's Well. The well itself is a..." His voice droned on and on, explaining the history and importance of the well.

"Yeah, that's great." the same female voice replied. "But can we see it?"

Kagome froze. What would happen if he said yes? She knew exactly what would happen. They would open the door to find two normal looking teenage boys and one demoness holding a demon baby while another clung to her neck. All of the occupants of the well house froze, waiting for the reply.

'Oh come on, grandpa!' Kagome silently prayed. 'Don't say yes. Don't say yes!'

"Yes, I suppose so." her grandfather's voice reached her sensitive ears.

"K'so!" Kagome cursed aloud, surprising Shippou who retook his usual position on her shoulder.

"Okaasan!" he scolded. "You shouldn't curse!"

"I know, Shippou-chan." she said quickly. "But this is kind of a desperate situation. We've got about a minute before we're discovered. Shippou, I know you're getting very good at illusions. Do you think you can take on a totally convincing human form, or do I need to help you?"

Shippou leapt to the ground and beamed up at her. "Nope!" he declared proudly. "I can do it all by myself!" And to prove this he quickly placed a transformation leaf on his forehead and with a small poof! he changed into a human version of himself. He kept his overall appearance, only making himself slightly taller, but made sure his tail, pointed ears and fangs disappeared.

"That's great!" Kagome praised him. "Now it's my turn." And with those words spoken she regained her human form and clothes. But she also used her power to cast an illusion over the sleeping baby in her arms, making him appear completely human as well. Then she turned to the two boys watching her. "I believe you." she said quickly. "I sensed the truth in his transformation, but whatever you want from me will have to wait. I have a plan. My name is Higurashi Kagome. May I ask yours?"

Kurama spoke first and bowed to her. "My name is Kurama." he said politely. "Though my human name is Minamino Shuuichi."

"I'm Yusuke." the other said, following suit. "Urameshi Yusuke."

Kagome nodded and motioned to first Shippou and then the baby in her arms. "These are my kits, Shippou and...um...Yukito!"

Suddenly the door to the well house was pulled opened and bright sunlight streamed in. Four sets of eyes blinked confusedly into the semidarkness at those within.

"Kagome?" her grandfather's voice called down the stairs. "Is that you?"

"Yeah," she called back weakly, "it's me, jiichan."

"Kagome?" one of the girls cried. "What are you doing out of bed? Isn't your anemia acting up? Who's in there with you?"

Kurama and Yusuke both quirked an eyebrow at her and Yusuke said disbelievingly quiet, "Anemia?"

"Heh-heh." Kagome returned sheepishly and then looked back up at her three friends. "Yuka, Eiri, Ayumi. Good to see you. Um, yeah, well, I'm feeling a little better, so I was just showing Shuuichi-kun and Yusuke-kun the well house."

Upon hearing their names the girls quickly turned their attention to the two boys standing awkwardly in the darkened well house.

"Ooh!" Yuka said to her friends. "It's those boys from before!"

Ayumi giggled back, "Yeah. And just as cute as before too!"

Eiri looked at Kagome and asked, "Aren't you going to introduce us to your friends?"

"Yeah!" Yuka gushed, "Which one is your boyfriend?"

Kagome blushed ten shades of red and cried, "Neither of them! They're just...friends of the family who are visiting the shrine." She walked forward until she was even with the two boys and motioned with one hand as she spoke. "This is Minamino Shuuichi. And this is Urameshi Yusuke."

Both boys bowed and greeted them, which set them tittering again. It was at that moment that one of her friends noticed that Kagome had something in her arms, and that there was a young boy who looked about five clinging to her leg.

"Kagome?" Ayumi asked carefully, "What have you got? And who's that little cutie?"

Kagome glanced down at Shippou and realized there was a flaw in her hastily devised plan. "A..ano..." she stammered. "He's...e.eto... I mean, I've got...umm..." Suddenly an idea hit her and she began faking a coughing fit.

She felt Shippou cling more tightly to her leg and since he looked so concerned she spared a quick wink at him to tell him she was alright. He quickly caught on. Apparently so did Yusuke and Kurama, because they each grabbed an arm to help steady her.

"Kagome!" her friends cried in fear and rushed down the steps toward her.

But she stopped them with an outstretched hand. "Don't worry." she said in between fake coughs. "There's a lot of dust in here and it's irritating my lungs."

"Oh my!" Yuka exclaimed. "Let us get you out of here then!"

"No, no!" Kagome protested. "I'll be fine, and I hate to pull you away from your field trip. Shuuichi-kun and Yusuke-kun will help me inside. You three go on back to your class. I'll bet sensei is wondering where you are."

They didn't look totally convinced but luckily her grandfather stepped in at that moment. "Don't worry!" he said knowingly, "She'll be just fine once she gets her inhaler!" He quickly began ushering them out of the well house while saying, "It's her lungs now, poor thing. So young and yet so frail! Why, I'll be amazed if she lasts out the year!"

"Jiichan!" she groaned after they had left. "Why can't you just tell them I have a cold or something?"

"I take it this happens a lot?" Yusuke questioned with a smirk.

Kagome chuckled and replied, "Yeah. Why don't we go inside and we can all do a little explaining."

Chapter Seven:

It All Began With a Purr

Kagome peeked out from the well house at the disappearing crowd of teens from her school. Her grandfather was playing tour guide today and had ushered them away from where the group of youkai were hiding. Kagome silently thanked him for being wise enough to know she'd need a distraction. Looking at the two boys to her side she said, "We're gonna have to run. I don't know how long jiichan will be able to hold their attention with his boring stories."

Rather than questioning her, both boys nodded. Kagome held out one hand in invitation and Shippou wasted no time leaping back to her shoulder. It was a little odd having an apparant five-year-old sitting on her shoulder, but she didn't want to chance him being caught in his true form.

With a nod all three took off, Yusuke and Kurama following along behind her as they didn't exactly know where they were going. Once they reached the house, Kagome whipped open the door and they dashed inside. She quickly ushered them into the living room, motioning them to sit down, and took a seat herself. Her mother had errands to run all day and her little brother wouldn't be home from school for hours yet. Glancing at the clock she realized it was only ten a.m.

Shippou was looking a little strained as he sat next to her on the arm of the sofa chair. "It's alright, Shippou-chan." she said to the little fox. "You can change back now."

With a huge sigh and a small poof! he was back in his youkai form. The kit all but collapsed in relief. "I don't know how you do it, okaasan!" he sighed. "That's a hard illusion to maintain!"

She laughed softly and ruffled his hair. "I've just had more practice." she replied. Then she turned her attention to the two strangers in her living room. "Now," she began. "I assume you know this is my home, if you didn't before. And you know what I am. But I know nothing about you. So why don't you begin by telling me who you are and what you want with me?" At Yusuke's disbelieving look she anticipated his next question and held up a hand saying, "I trust you, so I'll believe you. I just don't know anything about you. Why do I trust you? Simple, because a kitsune would never hurt their own. And a kitsune would NEVER align themselves with Naraku. So, go on and explain yourselves."

What followed was a very elabroate description of themselves in which they explained who they worked for, how they had come to work for him and what they were doing there. (A/Nwhich I do not feel like explaining and am assuming most of you, the readers, already know and wouldn't care to hear again. If you don't know, just email me and I become Link City, dispensing hundreds of YYH links to those unfortunate souls who haven't seen it. Let's say this explaination took the greater part of the day, which I imagine it would.) Afterwards she reciprocated in explaining about her time-hopping habit, her strange companions and their quest for the Shikon no Kakera. She conveniently left out that neither Shippou nor the baby were her biological children and they didn't question her on whether or not she had a mate. To the two Reikai Tantei it seemed a touchy subject with her and they didn't want to pry. To her they may be possible new friends, but they were still youkai. And youkai males could be a threat to her pups, even those she considered friends.

During the explainations she had paused long enough to search out one of Souta's old baby bottles from a forgotten shelf of the cabinets. She didn't have any baby formula, so she had to make do with regular milk. She knew if either Yusuke or Kurama had seen her lack of baby things they would know something was amiss, so she had made them stay in the living room while she fed her new baby. Her new baby...that had her father's name.

Kagome didn't know what had come over her. When faced with the unexpected she had latched onto the only name her mind could grasp. Other than the brief but insane urge to name him Osuwari just to see InuYasha drop every five seconds as she said his name. But her father's name seemed to fit him somehow.

Her father. It had been almost thirty years since she had thought of him. He had been a silver kitsune, of course. Just like she, her mother and her younger brother. Her father had been kind and caring. He loved his family most of all and provided well for them. He used his kind strength to protect them and all others under his rule. Who knew how many centuries he had protected Tokyo and the surrounding lands. Even when it had been nothing but wilderness and sparse human villages. Her father had been a powerful, but minor lord. Not a youkai lord, but a human one. He protected his territory and family from every threat. He pretended to be human to maintain a hold on the humans and made it known to all youkai that he was a Jikan intent on protecting what was his. No one crossed him. And if they did, they never lived to tell the tale.

Yes, somehow something told her the name fit the infant kitsune she now held as her own.

Kouga's POV:

Consciousness returned to Kouga as a splitting headache. He absently thought that if his head hurt this bad, where was the dragon that hit him? He fought through the blackness that shouded his mind only to find more of the same. However, the warm, sweet-smelling body pressed against his made sleep quite appealing at the moment. He wrapped his arms tighter around the unknown person, not really caring at the moment who it was. Their scent was somehow familiar. It was a sweet scent that lulled his mind into peace and made that throbing headache slightly less pronounced. That scent, he should know that scent. His muddled, sleep-clouded brain wasn't up to the task of placing it though.

He could vaguely feel fingers play through his hair, masaging his scalp gently. A purr began unbidden deep in his chest. Somewhere in the back of his mind a glimmer of recognition forced a single whispered word from his lips before he drifted back into the land of dreams.

"InuYasha."

InuYasha's POV:

InuYasha glared at the wolf prince clinging tightly to his midsection, his head resting on his chest. Kouga's persistant position had forced InuYasha into laying propped on one side, facing the wolf. He had removed Tetsusaiga from it's normal place around his waist and laid it to his side. It had been decidedly uncomfortable to lay on and with it in easy reach should they be attacked he would be ready. Of course, the fact that with Kouga's arms around him he could do nothing to defend himself, even with the sword, didn't occur to him.

Who knew it would take close to five hours for him to even show signs of waking? Certainly not InuYasha, that's for sure. At first he had tried everything to remove Kouga from him by force, but that only made him squeeze tighter causing InuYasha to begin to lose feeling in his extremities.

In the end he had given up and resigned himself to his temporary hellish fate. Thinking that Kouga, being youkai, would recover quickly from a simple bump to the head he hadn't planned on being there more than an hour. Then the wolf would wake up, they would make verbal jabs, maybe even throw a few punches, and then they would be on their seperate ways, far away from each other. But now the sun was beginning to drift low and InuYasha was getting hungry.

'Damn.' InuYasha thought to himself as his stomach grumbled it's displeasure at him. 'I didn't know he was so damn strong. But he ain't letting go! This is getting ridiculous! I want food. I want Ramen!'

Wondering if Kouga's head wasn't as hard as he let on, InuYasha cautiously touched his fingertips to the top of the wolf's head. When Kouga didn't make any sign of pain he continued. He ran his fingers gingerly though his hair along the scalp, feeling for any serious injuries. Finding none he started to remove his hand.

But then he heard a sound he had never, EVER expected to hear from the mangy wolf in his entire life. He was purring! PURRING! Like a contented pup! He could feel the gentle vibrations on his chest. Though his every thought told him to beat the wolf into waking, his canine instincts told him that Kouga's purring was a good thing. His instincts, normally dampened by his human blood, quickly overrode his rational mind. They reduced it to simpler, more basic, more animalistic terms.

It was good Kouga was happy. Kouga was a member of his pack, an important one. It was good his packmates were happy, most of them. His nose wrinkled as he tried to think of what had disrupted his pack and made them angry. The corpse, that's it. The corpse had joined them. Why had she done that? Oh yeah. He let her. A soft growl escaped as he thought about it. He had been stupid. She was a disruption. She wasn't a part of his pack. Now his pack was angry at him, and it was his fault. She was a threat to their stability. A pack couldn't function properly if there was unrest and distrust. He would have to set things right.

His growling appearantly unnerved the wolf lying next to him. Kouga had stopped purring and whimpered in response to his growl. InuYasha responded by ceasing his unconscious growl and resumed running his fingers through the wolf's silken black tresses. He removed the tie from his hair, allowing it to fall freely and allowing himself more freedom with it. Kouga instantly stilled and resumed his purring with a contented smile.

InuYasha smiled as well. His packmate was happy again. This was good. His pack was a happy pack, a prosperous and powerful pack. They could fight and kill with ease. They were caring with each other. They were well fed and maintained a suitably sized territory. This reflected positively on him. He was the alpha male. This meant he was responsible for their happiness. He was responsible for their well being.

He had made mistakes. He was aware of this. Hastily rushing into battle without thinking of the others first. Putting himself and his desires above their own. And the corpse. He vaguely remembered when she had been more than that. She had been warm and alive, caring towards himself and others. But then he was just a pup without a pack. Then he was a rogue, living only for himself and only on his own skills. She had been kind to him. She was the leader of her own pack, strong and dominant. She had accepted him and offered him a place where he could belong.

But that was over now. She was dead and didn't matter. All that mattered was making his pack happy, keeping them safe. Yes, he would have to fix his mistake. He would have to kill her.

InuYasha ceased his minstrations and wrapped both arms around the wolf prince, tucking Kouga's head firmly under his chin. A light purr began in his own chest as he grinned. Tomorrow everything would be good again. He would make his pack safe and happy and all would be right with his world.

"InuYasha." Kouga's whisper broke into his train of thoughts.

Suddenly InuYasha stiffened. 'That's me.' he thought. 'He knows it's me and he's still purring. Why does this seem wrong?'

His brain didn't seem to want to respond at first, but slowly it was released from some kind of foreign hold. It was as if something had possessed him and that one whispered word, his name, had the power to release him from his possession.

'Wait a minute!' he cried inside his head. 'This ISN'T right! Why the hell am I holding Kouga?'

"Alright, wolf!" he shouted aloud. "Time to wake up whether you like it or not!" He quickly removed his arms from around the sleeping prince and grabbed both his shoulders. He began to shake him violently back and forth, intent on waking him up this time.

Normal POV:

Kouga responded slowly, opening one eye only to see a painful red and silver blur as his head rolled back and forth. He whined in pain as his head spun ruthlessly and clamped his one eye shut again.

At Kouga's whine InuYasha stopped shaking him. That one sound had struck a chord deep within him. It made him want to hold the wolf, to stroke his fur and ease whatever had caused him pain. But, that wasn't right. He hated him. He was his rival. No, he was his packmate. No! Enemy! ...or...friend? Wait, what was he?

Kouga's POV

As InuYasha stared at the waking wolf he still held by the shoulders, Kouga collected himself, commanding his head to cease it's spinning and aching. Finally he managed to open his eyes, and when they focused he suddenly wished he had remained unconscious.

InuYasha's crimson eyes bore into him with a strange sort of confusion. He looked lost, as if he had no idea what was happening. But his normal look of anger wasn't present. Kouga could smell the change in him. His scent was that of a full youkai, but still he could smell a trace of his human blood underneath, as if fighting to reach the surface. What was going on?

InuYasha's eyes seemed to lose a bit of their crimson color, beginning to return to their previous golden. Kouga could see the emotions flicker across the hanyou-turned-youkai's face. Confusion, anger, distrust...and then, as his eyes bled red again he saw power, possession, contentment, dominance. His eyes flickered twice, the red fading slightly before returning full force.

Finally he could take it no more. If the hanyou...or youkai...whatever he was! If he was going to attack him Kouga certainly wasn't going to sit there and let him kill him. Well, more like lay there. The thought of 'what am I doing laying in inu-koro's arms?' briefly flicked across his mind. But he pushed it away and opted to start a low, threatening growl instead.

This appearantly wasn't a wise move, because InuYasha's eyes narrowed, returning to their full red color. Kouga gasped as InuYasha returned his growl, but not an angry one. It was a scolding growl, a growl of dominance telling him to get back in line or else. It was a growl used by the alpha male of a pack to keep would-be upstarts in line and submissive.

'What is going on in his mind?' Kouga thought, instinctively cutting his growl off without realizing it. 'He's not an alpha male. He doesn't even have a pack! And even if his little rag-tag group could be called a pack, I'm certainly not a part of it.'

Kouga suddenly stiffened in shock as InuYasha pulled him closer and began sniffing his neck. 'Oh he's not gonna do what I think he is, is he?' he screamed in his head. As he felt a pair of elongated fangs settle over the skin of his shoulder he realized with clear certainty that was exactly what he was going to do!

Without thinking Kouga threw an arm up wildly, connecting with InuYasha's jaw and knocking him off as he yelled, "FOR KAMI'S SAKE, INU-KORO! I'M NOT A PUP AND I'M NOT A MEMBER OF YOUR PACK! GET AHOLD OF YOURSELF!"

Normal POV:

InuYasha sat up looking dazed. He stared at the wolf before him in confusion as Kouga leapt to his feet, preparing to run or fight he couldn't tell. Maybe it was both. "What...what happened?" he asked uncertainly.

"You tell me." Kouga responded, dropping down into an unsure, defensive crouch. "Are you...you again?"

InuYasha shook his head, trying to rid it of the lingering fog there. "What are you talking about, wolf?" he asked slightly angry, why he didn't know. "I'm always me."

"Uh-huh." Kouga scoffed and rolled his eyes. "You always treat me like an unruly pup and try to chastize me with a bite."

"I WHAT?" InuYasha cried in shock. "I don't know what you're talking about, wolf! But I'm outta here!"

Without another word InuYasha grabbed the Tetsusaiga laying forgotten on the grass and leapt to his feet. He ran as fast as his legs could take him as far as they would take him away from the wolf before collapsing beside a lake. He panted slightly from the run, but also because of the conflicting emotions rising within him.

Looking down into the pristine surface of the lake, a pair of faded red eyes peered back at him. He had transformed, and there was no reason for it. He hadn't been in danger of dying, so why? Why did it all begin with a purr from the wolf?

In actuality, InuYasha remembered every bit of what had happened. Which was strange in and of itself. How was it that he could remember what had happened? Previously when he had transformed he had no memory of those times. It was just darkness and no matter how hard he tried he couldn't bring the memories to the surface. But now, he could remember everything as clearly as if he had not transformed. And he was surprised.

He was not only surprised at his own behavior but also at Kouga's. When Kouga came to and growled at him, InuYasha's instinctual response was to growl back. But Kouga, instead of continuing his warning growl, stopped. And he was sure the wolf himself didn't notice it, but he had actually dropped his head slightly in submission. Kouga had acknowledged him as the alpha male, without even realizing it.

Chapter Eight:

Mama

Kagome stood in the kitchen staring out the window at the departing students. It was now almost two o'clock and her mother would be getting home soon.

Kurama and Yusuke had taken her story quite well, better than she thought they would have. But according to them they dealt with things like this on a regular basis. Sure, the time traveling thing was a little different, but all in a day's work for them.

Now that she knew who and what they were, also what they wanted with her, Yusuke seemed like a cool guy and she was surprised to learn he was a hanyou. That accounted for the youki she sensed from him. His power was incredible, but most of it remained buried inside, untapped and unrealized. She doubted if even he knew just what he was capable of.

And Kurama...Kurama had her baffled. She knew what he was, but his past remained a mystery. Of course he had told her about seeking refuge inside a human woman's unborn child. He had told her of his human life, but he hadn't spoken about what had come before. His eyes, so warm and full of light yet cold and sorrowful at the same time, told her that he had lived a long life. A life full of power and pain.

For some reason she felt a great need to know more about him. Not just because he was a silver kitsune, though of course that was a big part of it. She wanted to get to know him for reasons she couldn't yet begin to fathom.

Kagome's grandfather's voice rang out as she heard him enter the house. "Kagome!"

The baby she still held in her arms shifted slightly and let out a short whine before falling back asleep. "I'm in the kitchen, jiichan." she called softly, careful not to wake the baby.

Looking down at him she realized that she would have to go shopping soon. There was so much she needed to properly care for him. She would need her mother's help, which was why she had yet to leave. Though she had taken care of Souta as a baby, she hadn't been the one to buy for him. Her knowledge of the situation extended as far as an older sister's, but no further.

A terrifying idea suddenly flashed across Kagome's mind as she thought of her mother and her eyes went wide. "Oh Kami!" she whispered in fear.

"Kagome?" her grandfather asked upon entering the kitchen and seeing his granddaughter staring at the far wall with a look of sheer terror. "What's wrong?"

"Jiichan," she whispered, not trusting her voice to work properly. "Do you remember what happened three years ago...when the family of kitsune down the street had a baby...and their eldest daughter found a mate that same month? Do you remember how kaasan acted?"

He wrinkled his nose at the thought. "Do I ever!" he replied. "It took me weeks to get my study back the way it was before she went on her rampage! I have yet to find some of my scrolls!"

Kagome nodded. Not only that, but while her mother in Scary Grandmother Mode was frightening...her mother in Scary Matchmaker Mode was a force of nature! And she'd had to deal with both for a time there! Her mother insisted on fixing Kagome up with every eligible youkai male that she had come across. And took every moment possible to remind Kagome that jiichan's study would make a lovely nursery. She could just imagine what would happen when her mother came home to find herself suddenly with two grandsons and a grown kitsune male in her living room.

"OKAASAN!" Shippou cried loudly in fearful desperation from the living room.

Scratch that, she was about to find out. Her mother had just come home.

"Shippou!" she cried and dashed in to find Yusuke and Kurama standing with their backs to a wall, staring in horror at the frightening woman who was hugging Shippou for all she was worth.

"Oh aren't you just the cutest thing!" her mother squealed while glomping Shippou. "You must be Kagome's son!" Here she switched into her cute baby-voice and rambled on, completely oblivious to the four people watching in absolute horror. "ShetoldmeallaboutyoubutneverbroughtyoubackwithherandIwantedtoseeyou,yesIdid! Andnowhereyouareandyou'rejustasadorableasIimagined!"

Poor Shippou had stopped struggling after his inital shock had worn off and now just gave in to the woman's affections. However his fingers were starting to go numb and he looked pleadingly to Kagome.

"Ano...okaasan..?" Kagome said, carefully approaching her mother. "Do you think you could let Shippou go? I think he needs to breath."

Her mother's eyes widened in realization and she quickly released her hold on the kit who leaped away to join Kurama and Yusuke by the wall. "Oh, my!" she breathed, "I don't know what came over me!"

"I can take a guess." her grandfather said sarcastically, knowing the woman wouldn't hear anyway. And why wouldn't she hear? Simple. She had just turned around and seen the baby sleeping in her daughter's arms.

"Oh, Kagome." her mother began, eyeing the baby like it was the cutest thing she had ever seen...since Shippou.

Before her mother could say anything else Kagome turned away. "Okaasan, could I talk to you...in the kitchen?" Not pausing to wait for her mother's reply she lead the way back to the kitchen, leaving a very confused Kurama and Yusuke and a half terrified Shippou alone with her slightly 'unstable' grandfather.

In the kitchen Kagome quickly explained to her mother about the baby and recieved two big watery eyes for a response.

"Oh, Kagome!" her mother all but squealed, "I always knew I'd be a grandmother one way or another! Even if you were 'that way' like your brother, I still hoped!"

Kagome gasped at her mother's implication. "Okaasan!" she exclaimed with wide eyes, "I am NOT gay!"

"I know, I know." her mother said, "but for a while there I wondered. You've never had a mate. You never seemed even mildly interested in the opposite sex before InuYasha came along." Here her mother's eyes sparkled. "Oh, and speaking of men... Who's the cuties in the living room?"

Kagome groaned and rolled her eyes. It was beginning already.

Yusuke warily watched as the old man searched through his robes, mumbling to himself. "Hey, Kurama." he whispered to the fox standing beside him. "Is it just me or is this family a little...off?"

Kurama half smiled and, while also watching the old man, replied, "All families seem strange to those who are not a part of them. Or perhaps I should remind you of your family which consists of your mother, Raizen who is...well Raizen, and you who are a hanyou Reikai Tantei who was once dead? Or perhaps I should use my own family as an example? Or perhaps Hiei's?"

"No, no!" Yusuke chuckled. "Point taken!"

"AHA!" the old man suddenly shouted in triumph. "I knew I had them here somewhere!"

Yusuke and Kurama stared as he whipped out several ofudas and quickly served up a triple helping of 'paper plastered youkai'.

Shippou, being very familiar with the paper wards from being around Miroku, began running around the room screaming in fear, waiting for the spell to kick in and purify him into nothing.

When it became appearent that the wards were not working Shippou stopped panicking and the old man screamed, "AHH! Why are they not working? You must be some kind of super-demons!"

Yusuke just stared cross-eyed at the paper attached to his forehead.

Kurama merely removed the piece of paper and said to the man, "I am afraid they will not work on us because Yusuke is more human than youkai. Also, my body is human so they will not work on me." Kurama glanced at Shippou who had pulled the ofuda off and was currently tearing it angrily to shreds. He was certain the ofudas weren't real, but he didn't want to hurt the old priest's feelings. "And Shippou is...um...he's special! From being the son of a miko! Yes, that's it."

The old man nodded and appeared lost in thought as he wandered off, muttering about how he could get the ofudas to work on them. Kurama and Yusuke sweatdropped.

Shippou suddenly leapt up onto Kurama's shoulder and tugged at a lock of his red hair.

"Ne? Ne? Are you really a kitsune like okaasan said?" he asked curiously.

Kurama chuckled and replied sweetly, "Yes. In fact, I am the same kind as your mother."

Wheels quickly began turning in Shippou's devious little head as he asked, "Ne? You'd never hit a girl or yell at her right?" Then he paused. "Um...unless she was a evil demon who's trying to kill you...?"

Kurama smiled at the kit, not quite catching on yet, and said, "No, of course not. Only a coward or one who is incredibly insecure would act in any way that is not kind and respectful to a woman."

Shippou's eyes grew large as he appearantly found his new hero. 'Oh!' he thought happily. 'I like him! He's nothing like InuYasha! I gotta get him and okaasan together!'

"Okay, you're sure this is all?" Kagome asked her mother as she took the list the woman had hastily made out.

"Yes," her mother replied. "We'll have to get more in depth in the shopping later, but that should be all you need for now."

Kagome looked the list over. There wasn't as much as she thought there would be. "I wish you didn't have to go to that interview and could go with me, okaasan." Kagome said pitifully, "What if I get the wrong thing?"

Kagome's mother laughed and said, "There will be people there to help you. You shouldn't have to worry." Then her smile changed into a mischevious one. "Kagome?" she said in her sweetest, most unassuming voice. "You know, it could be dangerous for you to go alone. Who knows what kind of youkai will be prowling about. Why don't you take that handsome young man with the red hair? If I'm not mistaken, he's a kitsune."

Kagome rolled her eyes. 'Here we go again.' she thought glumly. "Yes, okaasan." she said to her mother. "He is a kitsune. But I'm sure he has other things to do and doesn't have time to escort me around Amado. And I'm certain he wouldn't want people to get the wrong idea about us."

"Oh nonsense!" her mother responded with a wave of her hand. "He seems like a nice enough young man! I'll just go ask him!"

"No! Okaas!" But it was too late. Her mother had already disappeared from the kitchen. "Ugh!" Kagome groaned. "I really don't want to go in there now. I think I'll just go change clothes and hope he says no."

Chapter Nine:

Revelations

Kagome walked slowly down the sidewalk. She kept her gaze low and could feel her cheeks burning. Not only had her mother asked Kurama to accompany her...AND he agreed! She had also asked if he was mated! When he had said no, her mother had immediately begun saying what a wonderful daughter Kagome was and how she would make some male very happy one day.

Kagome glanced at the gorgeous red-head beside her. He certainly didn't seem put-out, being made to accompany her. In fact, he was smiling.

Of course Shippou had insisted on going with them. He said he wanted to see more of Kagome's world, but she had a sneaking suspicion he was up to something. He was currently in his human form chatting happily with Kurama about the wonders of chocolate. As Kagome still held baby Yukito, Shippou had latched onto Kurama's hand and had yet to let go. Which she considered a good thing because she could just see him running out in front of cars and melting store windows to get to the sweets inside.

Kagome had changed her clothes as she had started out to. She was now wearing knee-length white skirt with lace trim and a matching long-sleeved white shirt and had pulled her hair up into a loose bun. Overall the effect made her seem older and she was praying to whatever deity might listen that she didn't run into anyone she knew. School was still in session, but would be getting out soon.

"Gomen ne, Kurama-kun." she said without looking up.

Kurama looked down at the beauty by his side in confusion. What did she have to be sorry about? "Why are you sorry?" he asked kindly.

"For my mother." she responded. "For making you come with me."

Was that a blush? He smiled as he realized it was. "Don't be." he said. "I am enjoying myself and, after all, it is our mission to befriend you."

She glanced up at him and he saw mild shock in those gorgeous blues, followed by another blush and her looking down again.

He almost laughed. Now, a part of him that was Minamino Shuuichi thought of Kagome as a pretty young girl he wouldn't mind getting to know. But there was another part of him, much deeper buried. A part of him that was Youko Kurama. A part that could only think one thing.

/She's a silver kitsune/ Youko ranted inside their head.

/I heard you the first time./ Kurama said.

/Then do something about it/ Youko returned with vigor. /Ask her if she has a mate! Ask her if she's available/

/I will do no such thing./ Kurama replied calmly.

/Damnit/ he cursed. /She'll understand! She's not some pathetic human/

Kurama sighed mentally and said/I am aware of that. But she may be very young. I am quite aware that you...no, WE are quite old enough, but she may be little more than a child./

/She's old enough to have kits/ Youko pointed out vehemously. When Kurama didn't respond he shouted/Fine! Then ASK how old she is/

Kurama sighed again in resignation. /Alright. If you promise to stop this foolishness./

/Only if she's under a hundred./ Youko replied with a mental smirk.

Kurama rolled his eyes and finally turned his gaze to Kagome. He couldn't supress as smile as he saw her playing with the baby in her arms with a soft smile, while the baby cooed and giggled happily. "Higurashi-san?" he asked her, pulling her attention away from the infant.

She smiled warmly at him and said, "Kagome. Please call me Kagome."

"Kagome," he said with a breathtaking smile, "would you mind if I ask your age?"

"Of course not." she said, blissfully ignorant as to his reasons for wanting to know. "I'm just over three hundred."

The second her words were out Youko began raging wildly. /She's a grown woman! Ask if she has a mate! Ask her/

Kurama could feel a headache coming on. "Kagome?" he asked again, knowing that if he didn't ask Youko most certainly would. When she graced him with that almost angelic smile he could feel a slight twinge of warmth in his chest. She was waiting for his question and he didn't want to scare her by asking it carelessly. "Would you mind if I ask another, more delicate, question?"

She shook her head no and he continued cautiously. "I see that you have two kits. I was wondering, where is your mate?"

Kagome paled. She had known this question was going to come up sooner or later, but she had hoped it would be later. "Ano..." she said, averting her gaze once more, this time to the street before her. "I don't have one." she replied hesitantly. She didn't know how to answer it beyond that. She wasn't marked at all, so she couldn't claim to be a widow. And she didn't want him to think she slept around. But she did trust him for reasons she didn't fully understand. So she told the truth. "They were both orphans." she said softly. "I claimed them as mine."

/Triumph/ Youko cried victoriously.

"HENTAI!" Sango's voice cried, followed by the sound of a blunt object connecting with perverted skull.

Miroku lay swirly-eyed on the ground with one hand outstretched, his legs twitching like a bug that had just been squashed. "Just...removing...a leaf..." he managed to gasp out before falling completely into unconsciousness.

Kaede shook her head and went back to her herb grinding. When would that man ever learn?

Sango stood over the fallen houshi with fire in her eyes. How dare he touch her there? She was just beginning to consider kicking him when her attention was diverted and she slowly lowered her bone boomerang.

InuYasha walked slowly into the village, his head hung low and his expression thoughtful. Sango had never seen him look so distant and she wondered what had happened to cause such a change in him.

Kikyou had returned a few minutes ago, but as the entire village was avoiding her she had merely taken a seat in a low tree branch. Her shinidamachuu weaving about her body added to the strangeness of her presence.

InuYasha wandered around aimlessly for a good hour before returning to sit in the Goshinboku, replaying events from a few hours ago. His youkai instincts were still at war with his rational mind. For some reason he had the almost unstoppable urge to find Kouga. But it wasn't just that. His instincts were telling him that nothing was right. His pack wasn't together and he had to bring them back. They were scattered all over and he had to do something about it. Bring them back. Make them happy.

But his more rational side was nothing but confused. He understood, or thought he did, why he had the urge to go to Kagome's time and drag her back. After all, that's what he always did. But that was where normalacy stopped. He couldn't understand why he had the same, even stronger, urge to go after Kouga. The wolf was probably long gone, but InuYasha could still smell his scent on his clothes, as if he were right there. If he had been thinking clearly, he would have been disgusted. But as it was all he could think about where the wolf prince was concerned was a powerful desire to find him and hold him in his arms again.

Suddenly InuYasha was broken out of his thoughts by a female voice down below. Looking down he saw two of the village women. They had baskets full of ripe berries in their hands and were chatting casually.

"Isn't it nice, Kiyo-chan?" one of them asked of her friend. "We used to be afraid to venture out into the woods like this. But with InuYasha-sama around it's so much safer than before."

Both girls giggled and the one named Kiyo responded, "Oh yes. Who would have thought the hanyou we feared for moe than fifty years would turn out to be our protector?"

They both laughed again and sat down to rest at the base of the tree, oblivious to the hanyou above them listening to their conversation intently.

Kiyo sighed and said, "So many strange things have been happening lately, Mira-chan. First Kikyou-sama rising from the dead and returning to our village. Then the kitsune." She sighed and brushed some hair out of her face. "I wish Kagome-sama would return. I know it's a bad thing to say, but I don't feel safe with Kikyou-sama here. And Kagome-sama is the only one who can put her in her place."

The other girl, Mira, nodded her agreement. "Yes, we shouldn't feel this way about the miko who protected our village with her life, but she frightens me. And have you seen those demons that are always around her. I heard the demon slayer saying she eats the souls of maidens! It frightens me to think that if I died she would eat my soul."

Kiyo nodded. "Yes. But let's not think about that. If InuYasha-sama allowed her to return, she must still be good. Right?" Mira didn't respond so Kiyo changed the subject. "So, what do you think about that houshi?" she asked. "Isn't he gorgeous?"

Mira blushed ten shades of red at that and gasped, "Kiyo-chan! How can you say that? You're already married!"

Kiyo winked at her friend and said, "Yes, but you're not. And just think, you wouldn't need a priest to marry you. HE could do it!"

Both girls began laughing heartily at that. Mira finally said, "But I think he fancys that taijiya, Sango-sama. Have you seen how often he gropes her? It must be a new record for him!" And they laughed again.

'Girls giggle too much.' InuYasha thought with a roll of his eyes. The next thing he heard however almost made him fall out of the tree.

"I think there's someone even MORE attractive in our village." Kiyo said and after a pause she continued, "InuYasha!"

InuYasha facefaulted, quietly, in the tree.

Both girls giggled again, but this time they also made mooning eyes.

"And just think what that demon blood could allow him to do!" Kiyo sighed. Mira just blushed again, but nodded all the same. "I'd trade in my ogre of a husband ANY DAY for a guy like HIM!"

Mira giggled. "I think InuYasha-sama could make ANY guy look like an ogre! But I must confess, I've always wondered how sensitive those kawaii ears of his are." Then she blushed again as Kiyo laughed at her unmarried friend's shyness.

Kiyo turned semi-serious again and wondered, "Who will be the lucky one to win him? Kikyou-sama? Kagome-sama? Or Kouga-sama?"

Mira's eyes widened in shock and she gasped, "Kouga-sama? You mean the wolf prince? I didn't know he liked InuYasha-sama! Didn't he claim that Kagome-sama was his mate?"

Kiyo nodded. "Mmm." she agreed. "But houshi-sama was running around the village earilier with some strange box in his hand shouting that he had proof. When I questioned him on it he said, after groping me, that he had seen Kouga-sama and InuYasha-sama in a compromising situation and that the little box had a painting inside. Once Kagome-sama returns he's going to ask her to take it out so he has proof."

Mira laughed and said, "That's almost silly. A small box with a painting inside! But with all the strange things Kagome-sama possess, I believe it! I would love to see that!"

Here both girls got up and went on their way back to the village.

InuYasha was more than stunned at their conversation. 'Apparantly they no longer fear me, think of me as their protector and perhaps even lord, are terrified of Kikyou, love Kagome, think Miroku's 'gorgeous', think of me as a piece of meat with demon blood, and...wait a minute!' His eyes narrowed realizing what he had forgotten in his preoccupation with thoughts of a certain wolf. 'Miroku's got that damn box!'

All that could be seen of one inu-hanyou as he raced back toward the village was a red and silver blur. 'Oh, he's gonna pay!' InuYasha thought in anger.

Kagome, Kurama, Shippou and baby Yukito entered a small clothing store. The store clerk, a woman in her mid-fifties, approached them with a smile.

"How can I help you today?" she asked kindly.

Kurama smiled back at her and said, "Just passing through."

The woman nodded and motioned towared the back with the same kind smile. "Just through there, if you please." she said and returned to the desk.

Kagome thanked her and they made their way past the few customers and into the curtained off back room she had gestured to. Inside was what appeared to be nothing but a store room, boxes lining each wall.

Kagome turned to face Kurama with a grin on her face. "Ready to make waves?" she asked amusedly.

He smiled confindently back at her and nodded. But inside he was extremely nervous. How could he make sure Youko behaved himself?

/Youko/ he instructed. /Promise me you will not kill at random or make lewd advances towards Kagome/

Youko chuckled and replied/I suppose I could humor you./

/Promise/ Kurama demanded.

/Alright, alright. I promise./ Youko replied in an overly sweet voice.

"Ne?" Shippou said, tugging at his hand and drawing his attention away from his inner demon.

Looking down at the little kitsune he smiled and asked, "What is it, Shippou-chan?"

"Where are we going?" he asked with innocently curious eyes.

Kagome smiled and began to explain to him. "We're going to Amado!" When he turned his attention to her she continued. "It's like a youkai city inside the human one. There are secret doors all over Tokyo, like the one we're going to use, that allow people to pass through. Inside all the shops, resturants, etcetera are geared toward the various types of youkai living in the human world, mainly kitsune. In Amado youkai are free to live and work in their true forms with no fear of humans. Of course, this means that we will have to be in our true forms as well. Because if we were to appear human, we could be attacked. No human has ever entered Amado, accidentally or not, and lived. It's a secret that HAS to be kept. But because Kurama-san, Yukito-chan and I are Jikan kitsune, we're probably going to get more attention than desired. It would be like the Emperor of Japan taking a leisurely stroll down a crowded Tokyo street."

"Oooohhh." Shippou breathed in awe. Then as the information sunk in he grinned. "You mean I can change back now?" Kagome nodded and he quickly poofed! back to his normal form. Then he asked, "And there's gonna be lots of youkai in there and none of them will be trying to kill us?"

Kagome laughed and said, "Exactly! Unless of course we're stupid enough to enter a dark alleyway and encounter a street gang or something!"

Shippou cocked his head to the side and asked confusedly, "Street gang?"

Kagome looked thoughtful as she tried to think of how to explain the concept of modern street gangs to a kitsune from five hundred years in the past. Kurama, however, beat her to it.

"They're like bandits, Shippou." he explained. "Only they prowl dark city streets and often take more than money."

Shippou nodded wisely, then grinned ear-to-ear. "Will there be chocolate in Amado?" he asked enthusiastically.

Kagome chuckled and replied, "Yes, Shippou-chan. There will be chocolate and I promise to buy you some."

"Yipee!" he cried and leaped up onto Kurama's shoulder. "Did you hear that?" he asked joyfully. "I get chocolate!"

Kurama laughed at the kit's enthusiasm over something as simple as chocolate. "Yes, I heard." he said. "But now we should go. We have much to do. Isn't that right, Kagome-chan?"

Kagome blushed as Kurama flashed her another dazzling smile and nodded shyly. Her cheeks flamed as she recognized the -chan added to her name. Hoping her further embarrasing flush would disappear in her youkai form, she quickly changed.

Her hair grew longer and turned silver. Her eyes faded from the normal color into the feral golden ones. Her human ears disappeared and a new set grew from the top of her head. The last thing to change was the growth of her tail, which emerged from a carefully concealed hole cut into her skirt.

As she changed so did the baby.

Kurama smiled as he took in the enchanting demoness beside him, and then began his own transformation.

Kagome watched as the red-headed bishounen faded away in wisps of silver mist and was replaced by a breathtaking kitsune male. Once his metamorphosis was complete, she gasped.

"Youko...Kurama!" she exclaimed. "I...didn't...you're...you're HIM!"

Youko grined at her, a predatory gleam in his eye. His voice, deep and seductive, said calmly to her, "Yes, Kagome-chan. It's me."

Chapter Ten:

Precursory Shadows

Shippou had retaken his place on Kagome's shoulder when the kind-hearted, polite Kurama had been revealed as the cruel, merciless Youko Kurama of legends. He watched how the man stared at his okaasan with a hungry, predatory gleam in his eyes. Shippou suddenly wasn't too sure if he would be going through with his plans to get them together. Youko Kurama was legendary even five hundred years ago when he was barely two hundred years old. He couldn't imagine all the horrible things he had accomplished since. Shippou was almost shaking in terror at the new-found knowledge.

Kagome, however, after recovering from her inital shock, flashed Youko a brilliant smile. 'Well,' she thought confidently, 'I suppose I should have guessed. What other silver kitsune would be named Kurama but the one and only Youko Kurama? He's dangerous, yes. But I don't think I really have anything to fear from him...other than wandering hands if rumors are correct. He may be a ruthless killer, but he's still a kitsune. And a kitsune would never hurt their own.'

Youko was actually taken aback by Kagome's calm acceptance. No one, except perhaps Hiei, had ever found out his secret and looked at him the same. They all cowered in fear, pleading for him to spare their worthless lives. But he had to admit, he liked that response. It made him feel powerful and dominant. Kagome's smile and relaxed stance, however, were completely different that what he had expected. She not only considered them equals, as evidenced by her lack of submissive posture, but she also didn't fear him. As he stared into her own golden depths, he saw only trust.

A cry from the previously silent baby broke the strange spell that had fallen. Apparently he had been more than patient and was now about to tell them just how unhappy he was. His shrill crys caused both Youko and Kagome to flatten their ears against their head and Shippou covered his own ears with his hands.

Kagome laughed and began to rock the child, trying to quiet him. "Well," she laughed, "there's nothing wrong with his lungs!"

Youko chuckled and took a step forward, placing his palm calmly on wall of the storeroom. Looking back at Kagome, he said smoothly, "I believe he's telling us it's time to go." He then released a minute amount of youki, telling the hidden and enchanted door to open.

Shippou watched, wide-eyed as the wall swung open to reveal a dark tunnel. The sounds of a bustling city reached his ears over the softening cries of Yukito and his curiousity peaked.

Youko turned back to face Kagome with a grin. He extended a hand towards her and said, "Shall we?"

She nodded but hesitated. "Ano...you know what everyone's going to think, right? When they see us..."

Youko interupted with, "They'll think that I am your mate, Yukito is our son and Shippou is yours by another male. I see no problem with it. Let them think what they want. It'll keep anyone from making snide comments and forcing me to disembowel them."

Kagome decided then and there that she was going to have to let go of her human side temporarily. Youko obviously had no problems with allowing his demon nature free reign, but she had lived most of her life in the disguise of a human. So she had adopted the way a human teenager should act in order to complete the guise. But now, she realized that she had no reason to continue to act that way and was free to be herself, if only temporarily. She was free to be the full-grown demon woman she really was. And she grinned almost evily as she realized she would enjoy it.

Kouga sat with his back to the wall of the cave. Hagaku and Ginta were watching him from afar, along with most of the rest of the pack. A dark cloud seemed to hang over him and his icy glare was boring holes in the opposite wall. He was angry, and they didn't have to wonder why. He smelled very strongly of a certain inu-hanyou. But they did wonder at two things. One, he had gone out to retrieve Kagome, and he usually didn't return without her or at least smelling of her from holding her. This time the only scent on him was InuYasha's. And two, the strength of the scent was considerably greater than it should have been from simply fighting with him. It was one that had been imprinted on him after hours of being close...very close.

The two wolves nearest to him exchanged glances and then began to creep very slowly toward him in the most submissive of ways. Usually this would get them in his good graces. He never seemed to deny them anything, unless it concerned Kagome. Not even answers, which they were bursting to know.

But instead of either ignoring them or motioning them over as usual, he growled dangerously low in the back of his throat without even looking at them and they scurried back to their places. Their leader was acting strangely, and they were sure it had something to do with the hanyou mutt, InuYasha.

Kouga had escaped as quickly as he could from the arms of the hanyou turned crazed youkai. He hadn't stopped until he was back at the wolf den and immedately sat down to brood. He didn't even acknowledge the other wolves who welcomed him back enthusiastically and asked him how it had gone. All he could think of was how strangely InuYasha had behaved, as if the mutt were his pack leader. But it was more than that. Leaders, like himself, didn't hold their other pack members like that. Pack leaders had to be strong and not show an over-abundance of affection to anyone except their mate.

'Mate' That one word hit Kouga like a freight train... or considering he didn't know what a freight train was... it hit him like one of Sesshoumaru's fists.

Pack leaders had to show extreme loyalty and possiveness toward their mates in order to keep them safe from other males. It not only told other males that she was taken, but also that to mess with her and any of her pups was to mess with him.

That was why he constantly rescued Kagome from InuYasha. Or 'kidnapped' as she called it. He had to make sure all other males knew that she was taken. Trying to take her as their mate would be a personal attack on him. Of course, InuYasha had his own claim on her, and so they fought as only two males who are rivals for a single female could. But the truth was, she was only his intended mate. He hadn't marked her in any way. Through scent mark, bite mark, or the ultimate...mating. So the choice was still hers.

'That's how the mutt was acting.' the wolf prince suddenly realized. The possiveness, the dominance, the...holding; it all amounted to one thing. InuYasha had been trying to mark him as his mate. Through a scent mark.

Kouga took a deep breath, inhaling his own scent and the other mixed strongly with his, and came to the quick conclusion that the hanyou had almost succeeded. A few more hours and he would have had a temporary, but very telling scent mark on him.

It wasn't unheard of for one male to choose another as his mate. They were canines after all. But he had never thought InuYasha would go that way. Especially toward him. Maybe that monk that followed him around; they were pretty close after all. But it hadn't been a month since he had accepted that dead miko into his pack at his side. That was the equivelent of accepting her as his intended mate. So maybe... InuYasha was burying away the fact that he was attracted to Kouga? Or more likely... HE WAS COMPLETELY FUCKING INSANE!

Kouga leapt to his feet suddenly, causing all the other wolves to cower away. "I'LL SHOW HIM INSANE!" he suddenly yelled and left the den in a tempest.

Sango was quietly polishing Hiraikotsu at the edge of the village. She had blatantly said she didn't want to be anywhere around Kikyou and made off for the quiet of the trees. Just a few hours to herself, that's all she asked. No Kikyou giving her evil glares. No creepy snake thingys brushing against her and making her slap Miroku by accident. No creepy pervert brushing against her and making her slap Miroku on purpose. No old miko wanting her to grind herbs with her and promptly giving her the wrong combination that made her act drunk when she breathed them in. No crazy hanyou chasing Miroku and yelling some insanity about picture boxes. No village women asking her why she didn't have a husband and if she wanted to go harvest rice with them...as if it were some happy outing. Apparently some of the village women didn't understand that, as a taijiya, she didn't need a husband to survive. And a happy outing for her ended in the death of several vicious youkai and usually her cleaning the demon guts off her weapons.

Sango lovingly ran the cloth over the surface of her boomerang, making sure there were no imperfections. The sun was shining, the birds were singing and she had escaped those who sometimes seemed only to live to annoy her.

"Ah, Sango-sama." a voice said from behind her and she cringed. "You're looking even lovelier today than yesterday, which should be impossible as the gods are surely jealous."

Ignorant to his impending doom at angering the woman who sought only peace and quiet, he calmly sat down beside her and smiled at her sweetly. "Will you allow me the honor of basking in your magnificent glory, oh great and beautiful tennyo Sango-sama?" he asked, using every bit of charm available to him.

Sango shuddered, but managed to smile politely at him. "Of course, houshi-sama." she said calmly, laying her boomerang in her lap as an unspoken threat.

Apparently, he didn't get it. Because he instantly grabbed her hand and gave her a breathtakingly handsome grin. "Sango-sama," he began, "I know you have refused me before, but please hear me out."

Sango's eyebrow twitched in anticipation of what was coming next. "Yes, houshi-sama?" she asked through clenched teeth.

"Oh lovely Sango, please do me the honor of bearing my child?"

A second before her hand rose to connect with his face, a half-second before the word hentai left her mouth; she stopped herself. She had realized by now that the monk seemed to get off on her slapping him. That was no fitting punishment. So she had come up with something else. Flirting ambiguously.

Sango smiled sweetly at the perverted monk and gently removed her hand from his grasp. He was already confused at the fact that he had yet to feel the sting of her hand on his face. Leaning closer, she lowered her voice to just a whisper and said seductively, "You first, Miroku." The she placed a chaste kiss on the tip of his nose before pulling away.

With a grin she gathered up her things and left the blinking monk to stare in confusion at her newly vacated spot.

Miroku blinked...and blinked again...and continued blinking for several minutes before he realized she was even gone. Finally a deep crimson blush spred over his cheeks and he whispered, "She...kissed...me..." Then his confusion deepened. "What did she mean, 'you first'? Was she agreeing? Or was she saying she'd agree when I could bare children? Which means never? But..." He grinned stupidly, lost in his own thoughts. "She said my name... and ... KISSED me!"

Suddenly a harsh voice broke him out of his Sango-induced stupor.

"HA! There you are, bouzo!" InuYasha cried, breaking through the trees and tackling Miroku from behind.

The two went rolling across the grass, InuYasha coming out on top and pinning Miroku to the ground with one hand. "Gimme that box!" he cried. His other hand immiedately dove into the houshi's robes, searching about frantically.

Miroku gasped as InuYasha's fingers found their marks and peals of uncontrollable laughter left the monk's mouth in panting gasps. "NO!" he cried, unable to stop his laughter. "Stop!"

InuYasha ignored his protests and continued to search through his robes, his fingers prying every available spot causing Miroku to laugh harder. Miroku struggled to free his hands, twisting his body to try and and throw the hanyou off to no avail. InuYasha ran his hand through all the hidden pockets, pulling out various ofudas, seals, scrolls and some things he'd rather not identify, throwing them over his shoulder with abandon.

Miroku continued to struggle, throwing his head to the side in an attempt to stiffle his laughter. He only succeeded in making several choaked sounds and looking like he had eaten a bad fish.

FLASH!

They both froze, nose to nose, with stunned looks in their eyes. Miroku's hands remained pinned above his head with InuYasha's other hand resting flat against his chest inside his robe.

FLASH!

They both turned their heads to stare at the new arrival.

"SANGO!" they both cried simultaneously in shock.

Sango calmly lowered the camera and stared the two men down. A small smirk crept on her face and she said, "You two boys finished playing? Or shall I find myself a good seat to watch the show?"

They stared at her in absolute horror as she smirked very uncharasticastically. Finally Miroku, despite the fact that InuYasha had yet to move, managed to compose himself enough to pull out a witty retort.

"Oh?" he smiled, "I didn't know you liked to watch, Sango-san."

She just shrugged and said, "There's a lot of things you don't know about me, houshi-sama." Then she waved the camera at them and turned to walk away. "Ja!" she called back over her shoulder.

InuYasha released his hold on Miroku and quickly removed his hand from his robes. They both sat up, looking embarrased and stunned at their usually reserved friend's shocking behavior. Miroku shifted his robes back into their proper positions and glanced over at InuYasha, who returned a pointedly blank stare.

"So," InuYasha began, "I take it you gave the box to Sango to protect?"

Miroku nodded, but didn't say anything else. Instead he blushed and looked away, the thought of his and InuYasha's previous suggestive, yet unintended, position causing his cheeks to stain bright red. InuYasha wasn't much better off. He was also blushing and averting his gaze.

After several more minutes passed in uneasy silence InuYasha finally spoke up.

"So...Miroku...didn't know you were ticklish."

Kagome and Youko walked side by side down the wide city streets of Amado. Yukito had stopped crying again for the present, but Kagome knew he was in need of food. Shippou was perched on Kagome's shoulder, clinging to her for all he was worth.

The little fox had been curious and slightly excited before. But now, with all the eyes on them he just wanted to go home. He liked attention, but this was too much!

As the little group walked, the way cleared before them. One youkai even shrieked in terror and fled, only to run face-first into a building in his fear.

Whispers followed them everywhere they went.

"Do you see that? They're Jikan kitsune!"

"Why are they here?"

"Look! They have an infant!"

"By Kami! That's Youko Kurama!"

"I thought he was dead!"

"Look at her! She's so beautiful!"

"Do you think she's his mate?"

"Has to be!"

Youko grinned and looked at Kagome. She returned his grin and led the way into a shop.

First stop was a store specifically for baby kitsune. Let's just say the store mysteriously became vacant seconds after they entered, Youko frightened the store manager who was waiting on them when the woman asked to hold the baby, Kagome laughed at his protectiveness, Shippou hid in Kagome's hair, and they managed to get everything from diapers to bottles, formula to clothes, a carrying sling to an elegant basinet.

When they emerged Yukito was no longer hungry, had a clean diaper on, new clothes and was being carried in his sling. For some unknown reason silver kitsune seem to have a love of the colors red, white, gold and, of course, silver. So Kagome had gotten the infant what she knew he would need, considering how easily clothes were destroyed in Sengoku Jidai. He wore a pretty white silk baby kimono with gold trim, which he was currently drooling on from chewing on his fist. The rest of the things she had bought had been sent along to the shrine.

Next, Kagome realized, she would need to get Shippou some new clothes. He had been attached to her at the neck for the past few hours and she knew she wouldn't be leaving him alone for some time. Which meant that he would spend quite an amount of time in her world. Which meant he would need more than one set of clothing, however adorable he looked in his present ones. So off they went to buy him clothes.

However, half-way there Shippou began shifting around restlessly and Kagome looked at him in curiousity.

"Shippou-chan?" she asked. And her answer was the sudden overwhelming scent of baking sweets. She chuckled as the chibi kitsune turned pleading eyes on her and said, "Alright, I did promise."

Shippou did a mini victory dance on her shoulder and she looked over at Youko, only to find his eyes trained on a spot high above them on a roof. The seriousness in his gaze gave her pause and she looked to where he was staring.

A small figure stood on the edge of the roof, staring down at them. Thanks to Kagome's excellent vision she could see that he had strangely spiked black hair with a white blaze and was wearing a black cloak that completely concealed his body. His red eyes had locked onto Youko's and were pointedly not looking at her.

"Friend of yours?" she asked Youko, who finally broke the gaze and looked down at her.

"Sort of." he answered vaguely.

They both glanced back up to where the youkai had been, but he was gone.

'Wow, he's fast.' Kagome thought in amazement.

"His name is Hiei." Youko explained quietly. "And I don't think he likes you."

Chapter Eleven:

Frightful Tableau

Kagome studied Youko's serious expression. "Why wouldn't he like me?" she wondered aloud.

He smiled at her and said with a wink, "Hiei doesn't really like anyone. Especially people he's never met before. He's not very trusting of strangers." He glanced back in the direction Hiei had disappeared and said, "However, he did seem angrier than usual."

Kagome smiled. She could tell he was itching to track the little demon down, but he was also hesitant to leave her side. "It's alright." she said sweetly and placed a hand on his arm. "Go after him. We'll be fine here."

Mama Higurashi paced up and down the hallway of her daughter's school. Her lips pursed angrily and her eyebrows scrunched together giving her the look all disobedient children fear. An angry parent. One hand rested on her hip as she paced and the other clenched the cell phone she held to her ear.

"WHAT?" she all but screamed into the phone. After a pause she seemed to grow even angrier and yelled again. "YOU CAN'T DO THAT!" ...pause... "I DON'T CARE! You can't just pop in whenever you feel like it! We have LIVES you know!" ...pause... "I don't CARE if she'll be happy to see you! WE " Her expression seemed to soften a bit here and she stopped pacing. "Of course I missed you AND I'll be happy to see you. I just wish you'd give me warning, that's all." ...pause... "Alright. I'll see you then. What? No, Kagome's not home. No, she's not in the past. She's out shopping with... OH! Wait until you meet him! He's so polite, and cultured and GORGEOUS! Huh? NO, I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THE CAT! I'm talking about...actually, I'll tell you when I see you. Yes... I'm heading home now. See you there."

She flicked the phone closed with a smile. 'Maybe his coming is a blessing in disguise,' she thought with an almost insane grin. 'I could use some help in my wicked plans to meddle in my daughter's love life.'

Then she let out a classic super-villan laugh causing the entire school to wet their pants in terror. (and people wonder where kagome gets it from -.-)

Halfway around the world, two familiar figures stumbled through an overgrown and deserted graveyard. The night was silent and the full moon was temporarily shielded from view by thick black clouds causing one of the figures to trip. He was obviously male from the angry curses that followed. The clouds drifted away, casting some light on the two. One was the butt of almost all Hiei's jokes and the other was a certain Reikai Tantei with an attitude problem, the latter of whom was currently sitting on the ground. Or more accurately, he had sat up after falling to the ground.

"You're sure this is the right place, Urameshi?" a nervous Kuwabara asked.

Yusuke angrily stood up and continued walking. "Yes, Kuwabara! For the millionth time YES! This is the right place!"

Kuwabara's eyes darted back and forth anxiously. "I just got this creepy feeling something's watching us."

Stepping over a fallen headstone and nearly tripping on a vine that managed to wrap around his foot Yusuke shot back, "Of course something's watching us! That's why we're here! Koenma said some kind of Shadow Beast is stalking people here. It watches them for a while and if they act scared it attacks them! So, don't ... ACT ... SCARED!"

Kuwabara shuddered as a chill ran down his spine. "It ain't a act." he muttered, eyes continuing to dart back and forth rapidly.

Yusuke rounded on his teammate. "Look!" he demanded, "We just gotta figure out what it is and if possible capture or kill it. Then I can get to my date with Keiko...like that'll happen in the next ten centuries...and you can get back to your kitten."

"Hey!" Kuwabara shouted back, "Don't bring Eikichi into this! She's innocent!"

"Innocent my ass!" Yusuke responded angrily. "She tried to scratch my eyes out!"

"That's because you SAT ON HER!"

Throwing up his hands in exasperation, Yusuke turned back to the search for the elusive monster and Kuwabara's anger suddenly disappeared as another cold shiver crept up on him.

"And tell me again why we're here alone?" he asked nervously. "Not that the shrimp'd be any use, but Kurama'd be good back-up y'know."

Yusuke sighed. "Kurama is with Higurashi, the miko from the other case. And who knows where Hiei is! You're just lucky the miko's mother is trying to hook Kurama up with her daughter, otherwise you'd be here alone! Damn it!" he cursed as he tripped yet again and banged his knee on a slab of stone. "You'd think a mission could take us to...I don't know...JAMAICA! But nooo...we get sent to a graveyard in Canada!" Yusuke continued his rant on the location, his missing another date with Keiko, creepy toddlers having it in for him and everything else he could think of as Kuwabara followed hesitantly along behind him. All Kuwabara heard of his rant was something about wanting a beach, too many damn trees and a squirrel from Hell eating his left shoe.

Kuwabara shuddered again as yet another chill ran up his spine. And that's when he saw what exactly was causing the chills. Two glowing golden eyes in the bushes to their right! 'Just a cat' he thought to himself. 'Just a cat. Just a cute little furry kitty. Just a harmless little ball of fluff. Nothing scary. Nothing dangerous. Not a demon. Not a monster. Just a cute cuddly kitten.'

Suddenly a shrill laugh cut through the still night air.

"YAAAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"What the hell was THAT?" Yusuke exclaimed as he spun around trying to locate the source of the laugh.

Kuwabara felt like his heart was going to explode from his chest! The laugh had come from the eyes!

"Urameshi! Urameshi!" he cried frantically. "Not a cat! NOT A CAT!"

"What?" Yusuke replied still searching for the laugh's origin. "What are you talking about?"

Kuwabara extended a shaking finger and pointed at the glowing eyes. "Eyes! Eyes! Urameshi, EYES! Not a cat! Not a CAT!" he cried out in fearful panic.

Yusuke stared into the bushes where Kuwabara was pointing. Sure enough, a second laugh echoed out from the eyes.

A young female voice spoke sinisterly in response to their attention. "You have entered the grave of forgotten soooouuuuls!" she dramaticised. "Now you can never leave!"

The eyes bobbed once. Apparently moving into an attacking position.

The voice continued on in it's creepy tone, "Now you who fears me will remain here as one of the damned for eternity!"

Yusuke got into a fighting stance. "Whatever you are!" he called, "We were sent here to stop you! So why don't you come on out?"

Kuwabara followed suit and let out a manly war-cry.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!"

He screamed like a girl and tore off in the other direction.

"Chase! Chase! Chase!" the mysterious voice sung happily.

A tan blur shot out of the bushes and quickly knocked Kuwabara to the ground, pinning him with it's relatively small body.

"Now you are miiiiine!" she cheered joyfully.

"Rei Gan!"

Yusuke attempted to blast the thing off Kuwabara, but she leapt up at the last minute and dodged it with feline grace. Coming to rest on a tree branch she pouted in a less frightening and much more childish voice, "Hey! That wasn't very nice!"

"Oh yeah?" Yusuke returned. "Then this ain't gonna be nice either!"

Leaping into the air he landed a solid punch in the creature's face, knocking her to the ground below. In the scant moonlight he managed to make out a long lion-like tail and a pair of tufted ears on her head. Obviously it was a demon. But what he heard next shocked him.

"That...sniff...that...sniffle...THAT WASN'T NICE!" she wailed at the top of her lungs, tears streaming down her tanned face.

Yusuke almost fainted. Wasn't this thing supposed to be a vicious monster, preying on passerby in the night? So why was she crying?

Sucking up her tears she gathered herself proudly to her full height, all of two feet, and shouted, "You're gonna get it now!" Holding one hand out in front of her she cried, "Unholy Ray of CREAM!" A white beam shot out of her palm and instantaneously coated Yusuke in a thick milk-like substance.

He then sweatdropped.

"Hey, Kuwabara?" he said to the oaf who was slowly extraditing himself from the ground.

"Yeah?" he returned, eyeing the chibi cat-girl suspiciously.

Yusuke responded in an exaggeratedly calm voice. "It's a cat."

Then all three of them sweatdropped.

Youko had left Kagome and the kits alone at the sweets shop, though he had protested repeatedly before she had all but ordered him to leave. He was certain she could take care of herself and the kits with no problem, but a good mate didn't leave their family alone in potentially dangerous territory. Despite the protestations of his human side, he, Youko, fully intended to make her his mate. If she agreed of course. He wasn't some low class oni who wouldn't give the female a choice. Kagome was his equal in all ways.

Following the youki of a certain fire demon, he made his way across the rooftops in the direction he was certain would lead him to Hiei. As he felt it grow nearer, he dropped to the ground in the alley behind a rather dubious looking shop. His ears swiveled around as he caught a familiar, "Hn" from his right.

Turning around he came face to... okay, maybe not face to face. More like face to waist...but anyway! Hiei calmly stepped out from the shadows, glaring at the Youko before him.

"Hello, Hiei." Youko greeted with an arrogant smirk.

"Hn." Hiei replied. "Who let you out?"

Youko chuckled. Always count on Hiei for sarcastic remarks and random insults! Walking closer to his friend, he replied, "I did. Or rather, Shuuichi did." He waved a hand dismissively as he commented, "It was nessacery."

Hiei leaned casually against the brick wall and kept his eyes trained on Youko. "I saw." he said, a hint of displeasure tingeing his voice. "Who's the female? She can't be your mate. You haven't been out long enough in eighteen years to have a kit that young."

Youko continued smiling and took a place against the wall beside him. "You're right." he said with a mischievous glint in his eye. "I haven't. But I plan to rectify that."

A few moments passed in silence before Hiei spoke up again. "So, who is she?" he asked again.

Youko tilted his head to grin at the fire demon at his side. "Jealous, Hiei?" he teased.

"Hn." was his only answer as Hiei avoided his gaze by staring at the opposite wall.

Youko could see the tight clench of Hiei's jaw and the way his fists, surreptitiously hidden in the folds of his cloak, began to form into balls. Hiei was jealous, despite whatever protestations he would make. Kurama had been the one to befriend him, show him unconditional acceptance and love no matter what past crimes he may have, and had, committed. They had a bond that went beyond brothers, beyond lovers. Whether he would admit it or not, Hiei was jealous of anyone who he thought could possibly break that bond between the two males. He was afraid to lose perhaps the only person he could call 'friend'.

Deciding not to torment him anymore, Youko said, "She's the miko Yusuke and I were ordered to befriend."

Hiei raised an eyebrow at the Youko, but said nothing, allowing him to continue.

"Her name is Higurashi Kagome."

Youko then gave him a condensed version of her story, including the fact that neither of the kits were hers biologically. Youko knew her secrets would be safe with Hiei, so he had no reservations about telling him.

Kagome watched Shippou happily stuffing his face full of delicious chocolate pastries. She and the two kits sat at an outside table, watching the people go by. Or rather, watching the people go by who were watching them sitting quietly at a table. They were an oddity and she was certainly prepared to receive her share of shy glances and outright stares. However, they were now beginning to grate on her nerves. Never had she so wished to be in her human form, to fade into the background.

As a male reptile youkai stopped to stare, she felt her last bit of patience slip. She bared her fangs slightly at the man; an unspoken threat if he didn't get on his way she would probably rip him in two. The man nearly shrieked in terror and tripped over his own feet as he struggled to get away with all due haste.

Sighing, Kagome rubbed the bridge of her nose. She was getting a headache. First, she had to deal with InuYasha at what she considered an ungodly hour for a Saturday. Then there was the confrontation with Kikyou in the village, after which she suddenly found herself the mother to an infant kitsune who was probably a target for every youkai in the Sengoku Jidai. Then there was a run-in with her ningen friends AND two Reikai Tantei! And now, here she was. Sitting at a cafe, getting stared at by half the city while Shippou scarfed down more sugar than any child should have in a month! AND her escort was none other than the infamous Youko Kurama ... who had run off to chase down a 'friend'.

Kagome absently wondered if perhaps they were more than 'friends', but decided it was not any of her business. Still, she almost giggled as she imagined a child who looked a cross between her escort and the youkai she had seen on the roof, Hiei she believed his name was.

As several very humorous combinations flitted through her mind, she was unaware of the eyes watching her. Or rather, she paid them no mind, assuming they were that of another 'adoring fan'.

On a rooftop overlooking the cafe, a youkai crouched low, watching Kagome and the kits with interest. Her green eyes flashed with a predatory gleam as she eyed them. Pulling the hood of her simple brown cloak back slightly, she brushed her long raven bangs out of her eyes. Looking at her intended target, she felt a slight pang of remorse.

(flashback)

The girl knelt before a male figure hidden in shadows as he said in a low, seductive voice, "There is one more task I wish you to accomplish before you receive payment. A relatively simple task for one as proficient as you. I wish you to aquire for me a child. Such a simple task you should complete in short order."

The man moved slightly forward, a hint of white hair gleaming in the scant light before he faded back into the shadow. "The child I require, is a very special child." he explained. "The child...is Jikan."

(end flashback)

And here she was, about to snatch a helpless baby from the arms of it's obviously loving mother. If her payment for completing this task weren't so important to her, she would have refused. But as it were, this was the only way. The only way she could find them again.

Standing, she said to herself, "Alright, Kairi. Just do it and run." And with that she seemed to disappear.

Kagome'd had enough. She managed to pull a protesting Shippou away from his sweets and was now stalking down the street in search of a quiet place out of the way where she could await Youko's return, without the stares and hushed whispers.

Turning down a side alley, she was suddenly jostled hard as a figure in a brown cloak bumped into her. The telltale scent of a female gave away the sex of the offender, but not the species. As the woman, who was considerably shorter in stature than she, bowed deeply and asked for forgiveness, Kagome inhaled her scent deeply. And in doing so was instantly suspicious. The woman's scent did not carry that of any animal type youkai. Which meant she was most likely elemental based and therefore higher in status and power than most other youkai simply by grace of genetics.

She wore a ragged looking brown cloak with it's hood up and covering most of her face. However, beneath it Kagome could see glimpses of red and black. The cloak ended just below the knees, revealing black pant-clad legs. On her feet were a pair of immaculate black slippers.

'Ah.' Kagome thought to herself, coming to the realization that the girl was not what she wanted to seem. 'She's in disguise. That means she most likely works for a taiyoukai.' She took note of the way the girl lightly balanced herself, putting equal weight on both feet even as she bowed repeatedly. Her back was also tense, her muscles ready to aid her in fight or flight at a moments notice.

'I see.' Kagome thought with smug amusement. 'She's probably either a spy or an assassin. And is afraid she has been caught.'

"Sumimasen! Sumimasen!" the girl said hastily, bowing. "I did not mean to run into you! Please forgive me!"

Kagome smiled warmly at her. She had no reason to interrupt the girl's task, whatever it may be. And so replied, "No need to apologize. No harm done. Just watch where you're going." Then she continued on her way, leaving the girl to stare at her back. She then made for the back of the alley where she knew rested a small, rather private, inn where she could have some semblance of privacy.

Kairi watched the woman go with a satisfied smirk. The plans had been laid out in her mind and the first step taken. Now all she had to do was watch and wait for her opportunity to strike. She turned and left the alleyway, heading for the nearest rooftop to keep an eye on her target.

There normally would be no way to steal a Jikan child from a parent who is also Jikan. Even if the parent weren't extremely powerful, which she was more than certain the woman was, there was always the problem of their built in defenses. Her Boss had told her to beware of a Jikan's innate abilities; abilities even they may not be aware they possess. Specifically, their power over the flow of time.

She hadn't known the Jikan's ability to control time was anything but a myth until Boss had told her. He had given her intricate details on things no person, human or youkai, should know. Things she was very interested to find out how exactly he came upon such information. He said that when a Jikan feels their life or the lives of those dear to them are in danger, they may release their power in one explosive wave that could presumably cause massive widespread destruction and irreparable damage to the time barrier.

This was why she was proceeding as she was. Cautiously. Silently. And this was the reason Boss had hired her. He required someone with both the power AND the skill to carry out the mission successfully. Her unique background was just the thing required. Her half-breed blood gave her the abilities. Her time with the Loia bandits had given her the skills to utilize her abilities to their fullest potential.

And after she had completed this mission and safely stowed away her payment for later use, she would turn those skills on her Boss. She would extract every bit of information he possessed, in the slim chance it might lead her closer to her destination. Closer to finding home.

Pulling out a smooth black stone about the size of her hand, Kairi stared at it intently. Her plans for Boss would have to wait. Until after she had received her payment. Right now, it was time to watch, learn and strike when the moment was right. An image of Kagome and the two kits reflected on the stone, all sitting serenely and unsuspectingly at a table in an inn.

After speaking with Hiei, Youko left the Jaganshi to his own devices. Hiei was now quite well informed on the current situation and had actually taken the news that Youko intended to mate 'the female' quite well. After the usual insults and "I don't trust her" he told Kurama that he had searched Kagome's emotions without permission from his place on the roof using his Jagan. He then admitted there was nothing even remotely hostile towards Youko and that she was, in fact, completely infatuated with him already.

The kitsune stored that little bit of information away for use later with a grin. Then he headed back to where he had last seen 'his woman', but found her gone. And with the stares he was getting, which he himself was not unaccustomed to, he didn't have to wonder why.

Following her scent easily through the city, he came upon them safely ensconced in a remote inn. They were happily chatting with the owner, an aging neko youkai, about the weather of all things! So engrossed was the man in the conversation, quickly quoting the relative humidity levels for the past three weeks with a gleeful expression, that he did not even notice Youko enter.

Kagome did, however. As did both of the kits.

Kagome flashed him a genuinely happy smile, then motioned with her head in the direction of the rambling man, her eyes pleading with him to save her from a fate worse than death. Yukito squirmed in her lap and made cooing noises, recognizing even at his young age the scent of one he knew.

Shippou, who had been sitting on the table and chewing on a piece of celery, grinned widely and leaped off the table, running to greet him. Apparently the kit had overcome his initial fear of the older male. Running around Youko's legs in a blur, he chatted away. "YAY! You're back! Didyoufindyourfriend?Didyouhaveanicetalk?Didyouhavefuntalkingwithhim? Ihadfun! IreallylikeAmado! Igotcandyandpastriesandcoffeeandlemondropsandchocolateminticecreamandpeanutbutterfudgeandachocolatealmondbar andthreeboxesofmaltedmilkballsandLOTSofpocky! Butthenkaasanbroughtushereandshewouldn'tletmedancenakedontheroofforsomereason. ThenshesaidIneededmorevegetablesandlesssugarsoshemademeeatceleryandit'sreallynastybutforsomereasonIjustcouldn't stopeatingit! Howweirdisthat?" (note one)

"Whoa! Whoa!" Youko laughed and bent down to pick the hyper kit up by the tail. He dangled a wildly grinning Shippou in the air, the kit not minding at all. "I can understand the other stuff, but should you really have had coffee? That stuff's like the most potent of sake to a kitsune! Especially one as young as you."

Shippou continued grinning and made his arms and legs wave randomly back and forth from his hanging position giving him the look of a rag doll blowing in the wind. "KaasanwasbusyglaringatsomeguywhowasstaringatherandIdidn'twantherdrinktogotowastesinceshewasn'tdrinkingit! Sowhileshewasn'tlookingIgrabbeditanddrankitall!" He finished his rapid string of words with an involuntary body twitch and continued grinning drunkenly.

Youko raised an eyebrow at him. "Uh-huh." he said, watching the little fox warily. "Why don't we...go...talk to your mother..?" he asked, just hoping she could deal with the hyper, drunken kit.

Miroku and InuYasha walked calmly back to the village, side-by-side, but far apart. Neither seemed very comfortable and the second they reached the village, Miroku dashed off to go fondle unsuspecting village girls. InuYasha considered going to Sango and demanding that box, but one look at her made him quickly decide against it. She was sitting outside Kaede's hut, calmly sharpening her sword with the camera in her lap and a look of promised death in her eye should she be disturbed.

Instead the hanyou sat down with his back to a tree to contemplate what he could bribe her with in order to get his hands on the box. If only for long enough to crush it into a thousand little pieces.

'A new sword?' he wondered to himself. 'No, she doesn't need one and she's pretty attached to the one she's got now. Besides, where would I get one? Sooo... how about some of Kagome's soaps? She once said she liked those. No, she probably has some Kagome give her. Not to mention she'd know I stole them. Sooo... maybe I could get that monk out of her hair somehow? Yeah, I'm sure she'd like that. But, it IS kinda just as easy for her to knock him unconscious.' He sweatdropped at that. 'So, what can I do? I gotta get that box back before Kagome can get her hands on it!'

His train of thought was interrupted as the smell of earth and bones flooded his nostrils, making him scrunch up his nose in disgust.

"INUYASHA!" a shrill voice cried, causing the entire village to fall to the ground in instantaneous death, their brains having exploded. Okay, maybe not. But a few did cover their ears.

InuYasha whipped his head around to face the corpse with a false grin. "Kikyou." he greeted. Of course, what he meant to say was, "GO THE FUCK AWAY, YOU CLAY BITCH! YOU CREEP ME OUT!" But he kept silent.

Not hearing what he meant to say, Kikyou stormed up to him with a glare. "InuYasha!" she demanded, "I wanna know exactly how you feel about me!"

InuYasha, being a whipped puppy and having the conditioned response drilled repeatedly into his head by constant henpecking, replied, "I love you of course!"

Kikyou put both hands on her hips as a flaming background appeared behind her. InuYasha cowered behind a tree.

"Then why did I find you in the beginning throws of passion with the wolf, huh?" she cried angrily. "Answer me!"

Several nearby villagers paused to stare at that comment. One whispered to another, "See? I told you."

InuYasha allowed his anger to overcome his common sense and temporarily forgot it was Kikyou he was talking to. "It wasn't like that!" he yelled back, causing the villagers to dive for cover while still being able to watch what was going on. "And does the whole world have to know? We were trying to kill each other! Not MATE!"

Kikyou was poised for destruction after hearing the hanyou yell at her like that, but at that exact moment a whirlwind stormed into the village and flattened her.

Kouga stood in the place previously occupied by the undead miko and pointed a finger angrily in InuYasha's face. "Get this straight, inu-koro!" he yelled at the stunned hanyou. "I don't care what YOU want! I will not be your mate!"

InuYasha's previous anger evaporated at the unexpected arrival of Kouga. All he could do was stare in shock into the flashing blue eyes of the wolf prince. After a few moments of InuYasha's stunned silence, Kouga's anger also seemed to disappear and he lowered his finger. For several moments the two just stared at each other.

Finally, InuYasha spoke. "Kouga..." he began, "...you know you're standing on Kikyou?"

"What's a Kikyou?" Kouga asked innocently, cocking his head to the side rather cutely in confusion.

"A miko." InuYasha replied simply. "A dead one. But she's still walking around. That is, until you ran her over."

"Oh." was Kouga's response. Looking down he saw Kikyou laying on her stomach with her arms outstretched as if trying to escape. However all she could do was twitch as the wolf finally removed his foot from her back, leaving her eyes swirly.

Kouga regarded Kikyou with a curious expression as she continued to twitch, completely unconscious. He grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck. "Heh-heh, oops?"

"Why didn't I think of that?" InuYasha said softly as he watched her twitch as well.

Sango chuckled to herself as she watched the two rival males. Apparently neither had realized that they were standing peacefully shoulder-to-shoulder, watching the miko twitch with the exact same expression; a mixture of innocent curiosity and amusement. However, she knew that with those two the peace, such as it was, would not last long.

Putting away her things, she began to rise to her feet intending on stepping between them the minute the inevitable fight began.

Unfortunately, with her focus on the two youkai, her 'perverted monk detector' took a back seat to the desire to see the village remain in one piece. As such, she didn't sense the purple robed figure creeping up behind her intent on only one thing; her backside.

Miroku reached forward just as she was standing, causing her head to crash painfully into his. Spinning around, she came face to face with a swirly eyed Miroku weaving back and forth dizzily.

Both Kouga and InuYasha found this new display much more interesting than the semi-dead miko and began to walk towards them. Just as they reached the two, Sango cried, "HENTAI!" and punched...not slapped but punched Miroku in the face! Apparently her patience had run out. As her fist dealt out another healthy dose of punishment, he suddenly lurched forward, falling onto her and knocking her to the ground.

Or he would have, had InuYasha not been right behind her. Instead of crashing to the ground, she found herself knocked into a startled hanyou. Not expecting her to fall suddenly, he was pushed off balance and stumbled several steps to the right. Several steps that brought him into direct contact with Kouga. VERY direct contact! He was now leaning heavily into the wolf demon's chest, his arms thrown out to the side as if to hug him. And that wasn't all. Oh no. He also had his lips pressed firmly against the other males! He was KISSING him, with wide eyes filled with shock!

Sango hit first InuYasha and then the ground, her kimono flying up around her waist, giving the entire village a good look at exactly what was under that kimono. Also, unfortunately for her, Miroku collapsed on top of her unconscious!

Four simultaneous screams echoed throughout the village.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKK!" a feminine shriek from Sango as she shoved Miroku off her, pulled her clothes down and began pounding him in the head with a nearby rock.

"YAAAAAHHHHHH!" an only slightly more masculine shriek as Miroku miraculously regained consciousness, shielded his abused head with his arms and began fleeing for his life from the insane demon slayer.

"HOLY HELL! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" from InuYasha as he quickly leaped away from Kouga and began fleeing in the opposite direction.

"YAAACK!" exclaimed Kouga as he wiped his mouth on the back of his hand. He then followed that up with a cry of, "GET BACK HERE, INU-KORO! YOU GOTTA PAAAAAYYY!" as he chased after him.

Kikyou, presumably from all the racket, chose this moment to rejoin the land of the living...in a way. Regaining consciousness, she took one look around and began chasing Kouga who was chasing InuYasha as she screamed, "You horrible wolf! How dare you steal my man and accost me? I'm a MIKO! I'M GONNA PURIFY YOU OUT OF EXISTANCE!"

The villagers watched the happenings in shock. The last of the demon slayers chased a perverted monk through the center of the village and back again, brandishing a large boulder above her head. A hanyou with a disgusted look on his face was chased by an enraged wolf demon who was chased by a psychotic undead miko. The miko wielded a bow, but no arrows, instead holding it like a bat and threatening to purify both of the youkai's equipment off.

And if that weren't enough, their current village miko decided to put in an appearance at just that moment. Kaede strolled happily and blissfully unawares toward her hut, a basket of herbs, oils and roots in her hands. Kirara trotted happily alongside her, until she saw her mistress taking part in the mayhem that was plaguing the once peaceful village.

Taking in the strange sight, she stopped dead in her tracks, causing Kaede to trip over her. The old miko threw up her hands in surprise as she pitched forward, hurling the basket of magical medicinal concoctions into the sky. A nearby man reached out and quickly caught her, saving the old woman from a probably very painful encounter with the ground.

"Oh!" Kaede cried in horror as she watched her basket arc it's way through the sky. "The herbs! Don't let them touch you!" she warned.

Time seemed to slow down then as the basket sailed through the air. The villagers dashed away, taking cover from the randomly falling plants in anything from huts to baskets. However, a certain group of angry people were too preoccupied with killing each other to hear her warning.

Miroku darted under the basket, just missing being hit with it, still chased by a boulder wielding Sango. "Come back and take your punishment like the man you're NOT!" she screamed as the basket bounced off the giant stone, back up into the air and farther to the side unnoticed by the duo.

InuYasha then ran by them with a cry of, "For Kami's sake, LEAVE ME ALONE! I didn't WANT to kiss you!"

Kouga chased after him calling, "You know that's not true! Otherwise you wouldn't have tried to MARK ME!" Finally realizing he could catch him with ease, he piled on the jewel enhanced speed and plowed into InuYasha's middle, knocking him a good twenty feet. Safely out of the path of the twisting tumbling basket.

Seeing Kouga tackle InuYasha, Kikyou let out an angry, "NOOOOOO!" and sped forward...directly under the basket. It landed upside down on her head, causing her to pause in astonishment as she suddenly found herself with a reed hat. One that reeked suspiciously of magic and medicine.

All activity suddenly stopped as everyone froze to take in the strange site.

Kouga and InuYasha both lay on the ground, arms and legs entwined from Kouga's attack leap. Neither moved and even seemed to forget each other completely as they stared in silence. Miroku, who had been the first of the group to see the messy miko, tripped and fell on his belly, somehow managing to keep his face up to watch in astonishment. Sango stopped chasing Miroku and dropped the boulder, calmly walking to his side to help him up, not taking her eyes off the woman either.

Kikyou sweatdropped. She was the center of attention once again. Thick goop mixed with green herbs slid down her body, into her clothes and over her face, hitting the ground with a wet PLOP! A bright red root had somehow become wedged in the front of her shirt. She was a veritable tossed salad, complete with vinegret dressing. She glared evilly at no one in particular.

It was only when smoke began rising from the back of her shirt that people began to move again.

"Great Kami!" a woman screamed, "She's on fire!"

"Bring water!" another woman yelled in terror.

A man quickly brought forth a bucket filled to the brim with cool water. Just as he hurled it on her, Kaede yelled, "NO!" But it was too late. The water reacted with the mixture of herbs and oils and Kikyou shrieked in pain and terror as her skin began dropping off in large vicuous chunks.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" the entire village screamed in absolute terror, causing even the most vicious of youkai to flee the surrounding forests in fear!

Sango shrieked and leapt into Miroku's arms, clutching to him and hiding her head in his robes as she sobbed uncontrollably. Miroku clutched her to him protectively and took several steps back, not even thinking of groping her. Kouga and InuYasha quickly latched onto the nearest person, one another, screamed at the top of their lungs and scooted back on their butts at an even fifty miles an hour, legs flailing wildly as they scrambled to get away. They finally found themselves with their backs to a wall, literally, as the dying miko advanced on them.

Her steps were slow and heavy as pieces of meat continued to fall away, now revealing bone and sinuous muscle that rippled sickeningly with every move she made. The basket fell from her head, along with a good chunk of her hair, and she continued to move toward the two youkai, her arms outstretched.

"Ewwww! Gross!" a little child exclaimed, "Kikyou's ROTTING!"

To which the entire village chorused, "Ewwwwww!"

"InuYasha." she said in a creepily deep voice, her teeth clacking together due to her dwindling lips.

"IT KNOWS MY NAME!" InuYasha cried in terror as he clutched tighter to Kouga, who pulled him against his chest instinctively.

"InuYasha." she repeated. "Come to Hell with me! We will be happy together for eternity, rotting in the bowels of the netherworld!"

"Uhhhh..." InuYasha stammered, looking desperately for a way out. Leaping into Kouga's lap, he cried, "No thanks! I think I'll stay here!"

"InuYasha." she said again with an evil angry 'queen-of-the-zombies' look. "You would choose that wolf over ME?"

"Ummm..." InuYasha stumbled again, looking the decaying corpse over with a horrified expression. "Sure! Why not?"

"I see." she said, not two feet away, her stench easily reaching the sensitive noses of the two youkai huddled together on the ground. "Then I will have to DRAG you to HELL!"

As she reached towards him with a skeletal hand, InuYasha suddenly cried, "SHE'S GONNA EAT ME!" and leapt out of Kouga's lap to cower behind the terrified wolf prince.

Kouga valiantly shielded InuYasha with his body, protecting him against the onslaught of the undead zombie miko... okay, maybe not. But it seemed that way as Kikyou fell to the ground, no longer able to stand.

"I'm melting! Meeelllltiiing!" she wailed as she dissolved into a gelatinous puddle of flesh color ooze. "Oh! What a world!"

As the sun set on the Sengoku Jidai, the undead miko was finally no more. All that remained of her was what suspiciously resembled vomit. For quite a while, no one moved as they tried to come to terms with what they had just seen. As night drifted down upon the silent village, people began to pull themselves together.

After disposing of 'Kikyou', the group retired to Kaede's hut for the night. No one thought twice about it when InuYasha asked Kouga to join them. To be honest, not a single one of them would be sleeping that night and NO ONE wanted to be alone!

No one spoke as they all sat around the fire, downing bottle after bottle of sake, hoping in vain to drown the experience away in an alcohol induced stupor. Suffice to say, it wasn't working. They all just stared into the fire with large, glazed eyes. Crickets chirped and a cool breeze blew through the village.

Sango was curled up in Miroku's lap, muttering "worse than Naraku, worse than Naraku, worse than Naraku..." over and over. He stroked her hair and soothingly rubbed her back, trying his best to calm her.

Kaede, who seemed the least affected, was diligently cooking something over the fire. She knew that probably no one was going to eat, but she had to do something to get the terrible visions out of her head of her elder sister's horrifying last minutes!

"I'm gonna have nightmares for the next three centuries," Kouga spoke in a low whisper.

InuYasha sat, extremely close, next to Kouga. Neither had made a move to fight, and it was doubtful they would anytime soon. They were now not only bonded closely by the same terrible experience, but had also taken shelter in each other's arms. Somehow, they both knew that things would never be the same between them again. Neither noticed when one clawed hand sought out the warmth and comfort of another. And neither pulled away.

(note one) In case you couldn't read it, that's "Yay! You're back! Did you find your friend? Did you have a nice talk with him? Did you have fun talking with him? I had fun! I really like Amado! I got candy and pastries and coffee and lemon drops and chocolate mint ice cream and peanut butter fudge and a chocolate almond bar and three boxes of malted milk balls and LOTS of pocky! But then kaasan brought us here and she wouldn't let me dance naked on the roof for some reason. Then she said I needed more vegetables and less sugar so she made me eat celery and it's really nasty but for some reason I just couldn't stop eating it! How weird is that?"

Chapter Twelve:

Gentleman or Thief?

"Tadaima!" Kagome called with a sigh as she kicked off her shoes.

"Ojamashimasu," Kurama's light tenor echoed with just a hint of exhaustion.

"TAAAADAAAAIIIIMAAAAA!" Shippou screeched drunkenly at the top of his lungs.

"Okaeri," Mama Higurashi tentatively called as she stepped out of the living room, feeling slightly unnerved at Shippou's strange tone.

Not wasting any time, Shippou leaped from his place on Kagome's shoulder and launched himself at the stunned woman. Shocked, Mama Higurashi stumbled back finding herself quite spontaneously with a ball of fluff glomping her head.

As her mother weaved about uncertainly, Kagome shot forward and began trying to pry the ball of fluff off her face. After much tugging, Shippou finally came lose with a POP and Kagome stumbled a bit before regaining her balance.

Mama Higurashi just stared at the glazed look in the kit's eyes as he slurred, "Hiiiiiii...hic! Hiiiii, kkkaaaasan's ... kaasaaan...nnn..nah!" He then dissolved into a fit of uncontrollable giggles as Kagome just clutched him to her chest with a resigned sigh.

Kurama stepped forward and Mama Higurashi looked to the redhead.

He held the giggling Yukito in his arms and just shook his head at the woman's questioning expression. "Coffee." he said simply, not needing to explain any further.

Mama Higurashi's eyes widened in understanding and she nodded, watching spellbound as Shippou began climbing all over Kagome, using her hair as a swing with a goofy grin on his face.

Baby Yukito, oblivious to his mother's plight, giggled happily and reached up to grab a lock of Kurama's hair in his chubby hand, then proceeded to give it a mighty tug.

"Itai!" Kurama exclaimed as he attempted to free his hair from the kit's vice-like grip.

Shippou apparently grew bored with Kagome's non-responsiveness despite his best efforts to the contrary and leapt through the air with a cry of, "I'll heeeeelp yooouuu!" Fortunately, before he could tackle Kurama, Kagome snatched him out of the air and held him against her chest once again as he struggled to get away.

"Shippou-chan!" she scolded. "If you don't stop that you're going to hurt Yukito-chan!"

The kit wilted at her words and looked genuinely sorry. "I'm sorry, okaassssssaaaaaan." he pouted. "I just wanted to help."

"I know, Shippou-chan." she said as she lovingly petted his hair. "But"

Her words were cut off as a booming male voice called down the stairs, "Did I hear a cry of pain down here?"

All activity stopped and four sets of eyes turned to face the newcomer.

Kurama was on instant alert. Previously occupied, he had failed to take in the presence of another male in the house. This was unacceptable. Releasing a bit of his control, he allowed his demon senses to emerge. The scent of a male kitsune filled the house, drifting most powerfully down from the second floor. He could also feel the very faint youki of another Jikan. This he did not like.

Apparently, neither did the baby in his arms. Yukito began to shift nervously in response to the unfamiliar scent, curling instinctively into the warmth of one he recognized.

Mama Higurashi smirked inwardly as her accomplice made himself known, but otherwise remained as calm as possible. She didn't want her daughter to catch on to her plans just yet.

Shippou almost fell off Kagome's shoulder as he clung precariously to her back, eying the stairs warily.

Kagome herself was ecstatic. She could feel a grin beginning to form on her lips as she quickly deduced exactly who was making his way down the stairs towards them.

A human-looking man wearing a pair of simple black pants paired with a clean white shirt appeared at the top of the stairs, a confident smile all but beaming down at them. His blue eyes sparkled with joy as he ran a hand absently through his nearly waist-length black hair. His entire being radiated a confidence and self-possession that could make Sesshoumaru jealous.

He took one step down the stairs and stopped, pinning Kagome with a look followed by a dazzling smile.

Kagome could almost hear Youko growling behind Kurama's relatively calm exterior.

Suddenly, without warning, the man cried loudly, "Kagome-chan!" and dashed towards the girl, taking the stairs three at a time. Halfway down the steps, his human form melted away, leaving behind a silver blur which quickly caught the girl up in a massive hug.

Kurama watched in stunned silence as a male Jikan Kitsune glomped his companion and both giggled like pups.

"Oniichan!" Kagome laughed as she hugged the male back. "When did you get here?"

Finally releasing her, he stepped back and almost seemed to strike a pose as he replied, "Why, it was only this morning that I made the long and torturous journey over land and sea to be with my beloved family! Such an excoriating wait for such a lovely event, though well deserved!"

Laughing at her elder brother's enthusiasm, Kagome turned to the gaping Kurama and explained, "Kurama-kun, I'd like you to meet my oniichan! This is Makina." Turning back to her brother, who had pinned the redhead with a strange look, she said, "Oniichan, this is Kurama."

Taking the distance in less than a second, the exuberant male brought himself nose-to-nose with a startled Kurama and grinned at him. "Please," he spoke in a lusty tone leaning even closer, "call me...Ma-chan."

Kurama attempted to take a step back, only to have the man take the step with him, firmly remaining in his personal space. "Can I call you Kura-chan?" he asked in the same lust-filled voice.

At this point, Minamino Shuichi began to panic. How was he to deal with the unwanted advances of Kagome's elder brother without offending the family? Youko had an answer for that.

Shifting forms, he quickly went from being intimidated into submission to looming over the male with a displeased glare on his face, his golden eyes sparkling with annoyance.

"OH HO HO!" the man before him laughed nervously, retreating several steps and nearly hiding behind his sister. "Ooooh! THAT Kurama! HA! Heh-heh! Gomen nasaaaiii!"

Youko raised one disinterested eyebrow, making the cowering male hide fully behind the girl who was looking more and more annoyed.

"Kagome-chan?" Mama Higurashi said, interrupting the glaring and cowering going on.

Kagome looked over to her mother and saw the woman with a shocked expression staring at Youko.

Sighing, she shrugged when her mother turned her gaze to her and said, "Eh, what can you do? I was surprised too, butAh!"

She stumbled as she went to take a step forward and found her brother clinging to her arm, making sure she was positioned between himself and Youko at all times.

Kagome threw up her arms in exasperation and cried, "Gah! Enough! I'm drowning in testosterone here!"

After prying her brother off her arm and convincing Youko the exuberant Makina would behave himself thereby allowing the redheaded Kurama to reappear, Kagome excused herself to her room along with the kits citing the need for a nap and the desire to attempt to calm Shippou down. Kurama then tried to excuse himself, only to find Kagome's mother dragging him off to the living room along with her elder brother.

They sat and stared at each other for several moments. Mama Higurashi stared at Kurama with a half-smile and a twinkle in her eye. Makina also stared at him, at first warily and then with a smile of his own. Kurama could feel a huge sweatdrop forming.

"So, Kurama?" Mama Higurashi began, continuing to eye him, "Kagome told me you were sent from Reikai to make friends with her?"

Finally, Kurama thought with relief, a subject I can handle.

"Yes," he replied, "Koenma believed it would be advantageous for us to have her as an ally, rather than take the chance that she could become an enemy later on."

Makina nodded and continued his mother's line of questioning. "And now that you've made friends with her? Now what?"

Kurama shifted nervously. Suddenly he was getting a bad feeling. It was like that time youkai had invaded his school and he had been forced to fight them off while protecting the other students and teachers as well as his secret. Only worse.

"Ah," he began, "I suppose I should report back to Koenma. Yusuke will have already told him that the mission was a success. However, I should give him a full report."

"No, no, no." Mama Higurashi interrupted with a wave of her hand. "What about Kagome? What are you going to do about her?"

Kurama shifted again. "I suppose Reikai will want to keep in contact with her." His gaze flickered nervously from the woman to her son and back again. Why did it feel like he was being interrogated?

Makina leaned forward and grinned. "And you'll be the one to do it?" he asked pointedly.

"Yes, I suppose so. I have already established a rapport with her, therefore it would make sense. Unless Koenma requires her assistance and I'm on a mission. Then Botan will probably need to make friends with her."

Mama's Higurashi's smile faded at his words. "Wait." She narrowed her eyes and asked suspiciously, "Koenma might need her for something? Like what? You better not be thinking of turning her into a Reikai Tantei because she's got plenty going on in her life already!" Counting off on her fingers she continued, "Time traveling, fighting youkai five hundred years in the past, dealing with an upstart hanyou, fighting an evil hanyou, caring for two kits, going to SCHOOL! You honestly can't want her to do even MORE!"

"No!" Kurama exclaimed as he attempted to defend himself from the woman's verbal onslaught. With a kind smile he replied, "No, of course not, Higurashi-sama. I only meant that Koenma may need her to...do things such as verify the strength of an enchanted item or purify cursed items. No one is intending to make her Reikai Tantei. We will be treating her as a woman of her power and intellect deserves, as a venerable and respected miko."

This seemed to pacify the woman who sat back on the couch and smiled again. "Well, that's good." she responded, content with his answer. "You must understand that I only want to protect my daughter. She's very dear to me and I want only what's best for her."

Kurama smiled in response. "Of course, Higurashi-sama."

Kagome smiled as she watched Kurama leave from her bedroom window, almost being trampled by Souta as he returned home from school. She had only just met the kind redhead, but a glance from those sparkling green eyes or the smallest of smiles upon his lips could set her heart atwitter.

Just a crush, she told herself as she crossed the room to the bassinet her mother has set up while they were gone. She smiled at the scene before her. Shippou and Yukito were curled up together under a light blanket, dozing peacefully. Yes, she thought, it's just a crush. After all, weren't you just in love with InuYasha? People don't recover that quickly from heartache.

She could hear Souta call out his greeting below as he entered the house. And then there was the chaos that erupted as her elder brother most likely attacked her younger brother with hugs. Souta most likely responded with 'welcome home, now could you let me go?' if the silence was any indication.

Sitting down on her bed, she allowed her human form to melt away as she glanced out the window to the tree cast in red by the sinking sun. Once she would have seen InuYasha there, waiting not-so-patiently, whenever she turned her gaze in that direction. But this time the bloodstained sky only seemed to remind her of blood red hair. "Oh boy." she sighed, flopping back to lay haphazardly across the bed. "Just who is it you're thinking about, Kagome? You were in love with InuYasha not three weeks ago. And now you're thinking of a fox with red hair. But that fox already told you he's like two people. So, even if you were to have more than a crush on him...who would those feelings be for? The green-eyed gentleman? Or the dashing thief?"

"Sugoi!" a wide-eyed Souta exclaimed as his mother finished her story of the day's events, after smacking his brother in the back of the head because he wouldn't stop interrupting with his own comments. "You mean I've got TWO nephews...AND there was another Jikan Kitsune here who is a REIKAI TANTEI? SUGOI YO!"

Makina rolled his eyes. "So easy to amaze." he sighed exaggeratedly. For which he received another slap to the back of the head.

"Maki!" his mother scolded. "Mind your manners! You'll teach him your bad habits!"

The insulted male put a hand to his chest as if to say 'who, me?'

Souta ignored the squabble before him. It was nothing new. However, the story his mother had told her WAS. Beginning to pout, he stuck out his lip and put his hands on his hips. "Awwww!" he complained. "I miss everything! This is why cram school is a bad thing!" With that he turned on his heel and stormed up the stairs, making sure to grab his homework on the way. He may be pouting, but he wasn't stupid. His mother could be scary at times.

Maki grinned as he watched his youngest sibling storm out. "Ah," he exclaimed, "So young and vibrant! Why, I remember when I was like that! Young and carefree with the energy of a bunny on speed! The veracity of YOUTH!" With the last word, he flung out his hands in a broad gesture and succeeded in knocking over a vase, sending it crashing to the floor to shatter into a thousand pieces. For which he received another slap to the head and an angry glare.

Meanwhile a pair of eyes watched the house from the dark branches of a tree with predatory gleam. It wouldn't be long now. Youko Kurama had left and the female was unguarded in her room. Now, just to wait for sleep to claim her unwitting victim.

Unknown to the watcher, another set of eyes was trained both on the house and on her.

Chapter Thirteen:

Honou to Kaze

Kagome's eyes snapped open. Something was wrong. Her senses were tingling, telling her all was not as it should be. Sitting up cautiously, she glanced around the room. Bright morning sun poured in through the window, illuminating everything within in the radiant glow of early morning. Shippou lay curled up on her pillow, snoozing happily. Yukito was mimicking him in his new crib. Below she could hear her mother in the kitchen starting breakfast. Both her brothers were still sound asleep. Everything seemed as it should be.

'Damn him!' Kairi cursed to herself as she leapt from branch to branch. 'That damn little demon is still on my tail!' Even as fast as she was, she was having trouble losing him. She had no idea who he was, where he came from or why he was protecting that kitsune woman, but he was most certainly an unexpected monkey wrench in her perfectly thought out plans.

When she had sensed the household had all gone to sleep last night, she made her move. However, just as she was nearing her target's window, he had come out of nowhere! Several blows were passed, both dodged a hell of a lot more and lots of cursing later...she had ran. And now all she could do was run! He was strong. He was fast. And he was relentless. There was no way possible that she could see to escape the unknown youkai.

She had no choice but to turn and fight.

'Thank Kami for forests.' she thought absently as she leaped high into the air before coming to rest in the middle of a clearing. 'I don't think I could stand one of Boss' rants if he found out I let any ningens witness this.'

Standing as tall and proud as her five feet, five inches allowed her, she waited for the arrival of her enemy.

She didn't have long to wait as he silently appeared across from her. He wore a long black cloak that concealed most of his appearance, leaving only his red eyes and spiked black hair prominant.

"Hn. Finally giving up?" he questioned stoically.

Grinning mischeviously, she flipped her raven hair over her shoulder. "Not quite." she responded with a hint of a playful tone. Reaching up, she unclasped the brown cloak that shielded her own appearance and flung it to the side, preparing for battle.

She watched as the youkai before her looked her over, sizing her up. She did the same. He was short, not quite reaching her own height. His eyes were cold and calculating. She noticed a strip of white cloth around his head. Her brain instantly came to the conclusion that it was not there for fashion, nor to bind a wound. It was concealing something. Something dangerous.

He had been shadowing this girl ever since he had seen her in Amado. After noticing the way she herself was shadowing Kurama and the Higurashi miko, he came to the conclusion she was definately a danger to his friend and the girl. So he had stuck with her unnoticed. When he saw the predatory way in which she approached the Higurashi miko's bedroom window late at night, he had attacked. She had fled and he had followed, determined to get some answers out of her.

Now, she stood ready to fight him. He took in her calm demeanor with warrior's eyes. She wore a red chinese-style tunic over black shirt and pants. Her black hair fell unbound to her brush her shoulder blades. There was a sort of dark merriment in her piercing green eyes as she studied him as well.

Kairi watched as he reached inside his cloak and pulled a katana from within, then dropped into a ready battle stance. Her instincts told her to draw her own weapon in response. However, she fought them back. She had another plan.

"Who are you?" she demanded, not taking her eyes off him.

"Hiei. And you?" he responded with not so much as a change in pitch.

"Kairi. Why are you chasing me?"

"Because you threatened the Higurashi miko."

She shrugged nonchalantly with a smug smirk. "Just doing my job."

"I see." he said as if in understanding, narrowing his eyes in disdain.

Continuing to smirk, she shifted her weight to her right foot. Noticing this shift in stance, Hiei was instantly prepared for the coming attack.

"Don't take this PERSONALLY!" Kairi shouted as a fierce wind kicked up dust and grass, temporarily blinding the other fighter. Taking advantage of his distraction, she lunged to the left.

Instead of attacking him, she once again made her escape. Fleeing while her opponent was distracted, she ran for all she was worth. Or rather, she would have had the spiky haired youkai not suddenly appeared right in front of her face.

"Going somewhere?" he questioned calmly just before sending a flaming punch at her head.

Gasping, her eyes widened with shock and she managed to dodge seconds before the attack would have landed. She could feel the heat from his fist over her skin as she leaped back. "Fire youkai?" she gasped in astonishment.

Ignoring her shock, he launched another attack, this one a piercing strike with his sword aimed at her midsection.

Reflexes kicking in to take over where her mind had betrayed her, she reached behind her back and grabed for one of the blades kept there. Hand clasping around hilt, she brought forth a kodachi, quickly parying Hiei's attack. Steel on steel rang out and the two flew apart. They once again stood studying each other, looking for a weakness in defense.

Kairi felt a smile forming as her amusement began to overtake her common sense. A quiet chuckle erupted from her lips, startling the other. Relaxing her body, she stood straight and replaced her weapon. Her opponent was confused, but didn't relax, remaining ready if she should be trying to trick him into lowing his guard. But nor did he attack.

Shaking her head and continuing to chuckle softly, she laughed, "You're that damn Koorime, aren't you?"

Crimson eyes flashed with surprise before turning into molten steel. Leveling his sword at her, his voice reflected suspicious anger when he spoke. "What do you know about it?"

Ignoring his querry, she shook her head again and spoke quietly to herself. "Damn. Well, this is no good." Looking around a moment as if in search of something, she finally turned her attention back to him with a smile. "Sorry. But I don't have time to play right now."

Suddenly flinging both hands out in front of her forcefully, her smile disappeared as she cried, "Kaze HA!"

Hiei was flung backwards before he could even react. What appeared to be a powerful tornado formed from her outstretched hands and began tearing up the land and trees around it. Smaller gusts of wind flew from within it as glowing bolts of light, arcing out and slicing through trees and attempting to cut him down. Shielding himself from the wind blades with his sword, he managed to catch a glimpse of the girl standing calmly in the center of the raging force of nature. She laughed almost insanely, then stared him in the eyes with the most serious expression he had seen on her so far.

"I hope we can play again, Hiei-dono." she said, before simply disappearing.

Chapter Fourteen:

Season of Romance

Part One

"Kagome-chan!" Sango's voice cried. "Behind you!"

Whipping around, Kagome let loose an arrow. Engulfed in purifing magic, it cut through the attacking demon with savage grace. Hiraikotsu soared past her head on a return path, slicing through the air and causing the miko's hair to whip about her face. Turning back to her friend, she watched as the taijiya caught the boomerang with expert moves. Beside her, Miroku stood with his staff at the ready.

"Where the hell did these bastards come from?" InuYasha's angry voice cried as he slashed through the last of the demon hoard.

It had been a simple, but unexpected batle. They weren't even on a search for a jewel shard when the demons attacked.

Kagome joined up with Sango and Miroku, as InuYasha came from the other direction, fuming in anger.

"Is it too much to ask for a simple MEAL without having to fight for our LIVES?" he raged.

"Picnic." Kagome absently corrected as she bent to retrieve the discarded picnic basket.

"It is strange that we should be attacked so suddenly when there are not usually so many demons in this area." Miroku added wisely.

Sango bent down to help Kagome gather the items that had spilled out on the ground when they had been forced to abandon their plans of relaxation. "You're right, hoshi-sama." she said absently. "Do you think they're still looking for Yukito-CHAAAN?" Spinning around, she smacked him hard in the face. Grumbling about hentai hoshi's and wandering hands, she went back to helping Kagome.

"Ah." Miroku mumbled, rubbing the bright red palm print on his cheek. "Normalcy has returned."

Sighing happily, Kagome joined her friend in the soothing waters of the hot spring. Sango laughed as the other girl slipped down until her chin was completely submerged.

"I swear," the miko said, "if there were hot springs all over my time like there are here...I'd run around naked!"

"Naked?" Sango questioned as she giggled at the image of her friend frolicking about in the nude.

Kagome's eyes glazed over for a moment as her mind drifted to a certain peeping male. Scrunching up her nose, she replied, "Well, maybe not NAKED. Maybe in a swimsuit. A really BIG swimsuit...with lots of cloth...that covers every inch of me. Wait, I've got it! A parka!"

The girls laughed together as they let the warm water soothe away the stress of an impromptu battle.

"Kagome-chan," Sango began as the laughter died away. "You never did tell me exactly what happened to make you knock him through a wall."

"Oh!" Kagome exclaimed, her eyes alight with amusement. "Well, you remember I told you about his girlfriend Keiko? Well, she and I were trying on clothes from a shopping trip when we heard something outside my window. At first I thought it was InuYasha so I yelled 'Osuwari!' but nothing happened. So I flung open my window and that pervert fell out of the tree and into the middle of my bedroom!" Chuckling as she remembered the ensuing chaos, she continued, "Keiko sure packs one mean right hook! We screamed and she beat the shit out of him. Pardon my language. She knocked him to the floor and when he tried to stand up he grabbed the front of my dress. The dress fell down and I flashed him. I screamed again and punched him, sending him through my wall and into the bathroom next door. And at just that moment, Kurama flung open my bedroom door thinking something was attacking us. I spun around and flashed HIM! At least he had the decency to blush and retreat out the door. Then my mother, my little brother and niichan came running. It was a mess. But Yusuke is the one who's paying for the the wall."

Sango laughed at her friend's story. She had repeatedly explained how horrible it had been while she was gone and how glad she was that her friend was back. InuYasha had been sulking constantly and rarely left the Goshinboku, only coming down for food. Kouga kept randomly appearing and disappearing, never saying a word. She had been dragged off no less than six times by village women trying to find her a husband, usually one of their brothers. And everytime she turned around Miroku had been right behind her! Not to mention Kirara had apparantly turned to the dark side!

In front of a river teeming with fish Kirara lay upon a fluffy, brand-new pillow with a happy kitty smile on her face. Her purrs were loud and contented as yet another fish decided to sacrifice itself to her, leaping out of the clear water to land at her feet. The sunlight glittered off it's scales as it flopped about, it's mouth opening and closing as it slowly sufficated in the air. Feeling merciful she leaned forward and placed a fierce bite on the back of it's neck, instantly killing the creature and saving it from prolonged suffering.

Stretching languiously, she stood and padded around the large pile of fish to the edge of the water.

"Meow."

Looking deep into the water, she summoned forth her servant. A dark shape rose to the surface and broke the water, gasping and coughing.

"Meow!" she said, voicing her pleasure with her kitty smile still in place.

"Well, I'm glad you're happy." her servant mumbled as he lifted himself out of the chilly river.

Moving quickly, he snatched up his robe from beside a rock and donned it in an attempt to warm himself.

Kirara moved back to her pillow and began using her claws to de-scale the fish. After all, she wasn't just some housecat. She preferred her meat a certain way.

"So, we have an agreement?" the houshi asked as he sat down beside her. "You'll take a looooong walk tonight and won't come back until dawn?"

Pausing in her work, she considered this. For the past week he had walked instead of rode on her when they traveled. He had hand-stitched her new red pillow, complete with picture of her in her big form in yellow thread. Whenever Sango couldn't, he made sure she was brushed twice a day. He got her fish whenever she asked. He had told that guy his house was infested with evil spirits and there was nothing he could do about it when he sent his his dog on her and called her "little bite". Yes, she was a happy kitty.

"Meow!" she replied, nodding her furry little head.

"Thank you!" he exclaimed, falling back to lay on the grass, completely exausted. She was one high maintance feline.

"So, Kagome-chan?" Sango asked as they dressed themselves. "How does Shippou-chan like your world? It's been almost three months since I've seen him."

Kagome nodded and smiled. "He loves it, but he misses you all so much."

Shippou had resolved the problem of InuYasha detecting the change in his scent a few days after they first arrived. He had decided resolutely that he was staying in her time. At least, for a while.

He was absolutely enthralled with the wonders of the future. Souta had immediately gotten him hooked on video games and he had bonded with Makina over a mutual love of, of all things, toys. Mama Higurashi spoiled both her grandsons rotten, buying them everything she even thought they might like. As for Jiichan... Apparantly he found the old man's screams funny when a sleepwalking Jiichan wandered into his 'demon traps' at three in the morning. Ever since he had taken it upon himself to give the man a heart attack.

Kagome had enrolled Shippou in a youkai school in Amado which he attended three days a week, due to his young age. He said he hated it and wanted to go to a ningen school with Souta, but she knew he loved it. Everyday, when he came home, he would babble aimlessly about all the things that had happened and all he had learned.

There was only one thing that bothered her about her two children staying in her time.

She couldn't.

She had a job to do here, five centuries in the past.

Surprisingly, InuYasha allowed her to return whenever she wanted now. Therefore she stayed only a few days in the past before returning home for a week. She guessed it had something to do with the fact that Naraku hadn't been spotted since before Yukito had appeared. He was most likely using his forces to search for the kit instead of the Shikon no Kakera. After all, the shards weren't alive. They couldn't be killed. And they couldn't be nurtured by another who would turn him against the evil hanyou forever. If kitsune were one thing, they were loyal. Naraku had to find the kit before it was too late to taint him. The shards could wait, and so could his enemies. Namely, them.

Kagome only hoped Naraku didn't know they had him. But even if he did, he would never get his hands on him. Not while Kagome breathed.

When she had returned a week after first leaving with her kits, the miko had been surprised to find so much had changed.

Kikyou was dead.

Kaede explained what had happened, to an extent. Due to the whimpers and involuntary shudders the villagers made whenever Kikyou's name was mentioned, she was certain she didn't want to know the details of how exactly the undead miko had perished for good.

InuYasha was acting oddly, even for witnessing the death of the woman he loved. Even now he spent most of his time in the Goshinboku with a look of comtemplation on his face, sometimes replaced by confusion or anger which then faded back into thought. He only came down for food, battle or when she sat him. He did, however, seem to disappear whenever Kouga was around. It was very strange.

And Kouga. He had been acting the strangest of all. He showed up at least once a week, sometimes more and not once had he called her his woman or even so much as greeted her! It was as if he were wandering around with his head in the clouds. He would suddenly blow into the village, look around, sniff the air, and then run off again. No one knew what was going on with him.

The one time she had managed to speak to him she called cheerily, "Hey, Kouga-kun!"

To which he responded distractedly, "Oh. Hey, Kagome." not even looking at her. Then he disappeared again.

When she questioned Sango about it, her friend had blushed madly and just shook her head.

Miroku had given her back the camera she had loaned him and begged her to "take out the paintings" right away. She had the film developed per his request, but there was some mix-up and she had recieved pictures of an eagle youkai's wedding instead. She was currently waiting for the happy couple to return from their honeymoon so she could swap pictures with them.

"Sango-chan?" Kagome asked as she lifted her heavy pack onto her shoulders with ease. "I was wondering if you'd do me a really huge favor."

"Of course I would, Kagome-chan." she replied without hesitation.

"Well, see..." Kagome hesitated. There were many things that could go wrong if she asked her friend to do this, but if she didn't she would have to cancel. So, she blurted out in one long breath, "Okay, here's the thing. I have a date tonight, but mama has night classes. Y'know, cause she's gonna be our school councilor? Well, I kinda need someone to watch Yukito-chan and Shippou-chan and mama needs someone to watch Souta and...well... Normally I'd just ask Keiko-chan, but she has a date with Yusuke. When I mentioned it to her, she said I could ask Shizuru-san, but I've only met her a few times and I wouldn't really feel comfortable asking her and I REALLY need a babysitter!"

Sango watched as her friend panted, a hopeful expression on her face. "Sure I'll babysit for you, Kagome-chan." she said, for which she recieved a huge smile. "But how will I get to your time?"

"Oh!" Kagome exclaimed, waving a hand dismissively. "Don't worry about that! I've got it covered!"

Turning away from her friend's gaze and heading back towards the village, a guilty expression overtook her. She was sure the girl had no idea what she had just gotten herself into by agreeing to watch three boys who's relative ages were twelve, five and one. She pitied the girl she considered her sister. She'd have to pick her up something nice while she was out to make up for it. She only prayed the house was still standing when she returned.

"InuYasha!" Kagome called up towards the tree.

No response.

"InuYasha!" she tried again. "I need to talk to you."

More silence...until... "Go away. I don't wanna talk."

Kagome decided she needed to get her hearing checked, because there definately seemed to be a hint of fear in his words. Why was he afraid to talk to her? Storing it away for later, she responded, "Well, fine! I just wanted to tell you I'm going home and I'll be back tomorrow. Sango's going with me to babysit. We couldn't find Kaede-obaa-chan or the hentai to tell them. So please relay the message when they return. Thank you and goodbye."

Turning on her heel, she grabbed Sango by the wrist and lead her towards the well.

Up in the tree a certain hanyou wore a puzzled expression. "Why would she want Sango to sit on a baby?" he questioned quietly.

In a field of flowers a certain oblivious hentai houshi was picking a beautiful bouquet of flowers and humming to himself with a goofy smile.

"Oh, lovely Sango-sama!" he exclaimed as he picked a purple flower and added it to the rest. "Tonight my hands will remain chaste and I will woo you with charm. By the end of the evening, you will be begging to be my wife and bear my child!"

Chapter Fifteen:

Season of Romance

Part Two

In a busy airport a man with extravagantly long black hair and sparkling blue eyes wearing black dress slacks and a neatly tucked black dress shirt was talking animatedly with a younger man. The younger man had chin length black hair and was wearing a pair of black jeans and an untucked blue dress shirt.

"I can't believe you kept me a secret for this long, Ma-chan!" the younger man teased, poking his counterpart in the chest with a finger. "What will your mother say? Or that sister of yours?"

"I haven't kept you secret exactly!" the older man explained, placing his hand over the other's on his chest. "I may have mentioned you...in passing. Besides, kaasan and Kagome-chan have other things on their minds! And anyways," he grabbed the other man by the hip and pulled him flush against him, "I never kept any of my other lovers secret. Therefore it MUST be love."

Both of their eyes sparkled with barely contained lust as they gazed into each other's eyes. Lowering his voice seductively, the younger man replied, "Well, in that case I expect a ring sometime in the near future."

Mimicking his tone, he lowered his head toward the shorter man and said, "Who knows? Maybe that's the point of this trip."

Their lips then met, uncaring of the hordes of people going to and fro around them, most now staring with wide eyes. A siren wailed in the distance and a man cried for assistance as an elderly woman took one look at them and collapsed clutching her chest.

As the sun sank beyond the horizon, Sango sat in the middle of Kagome's living room floor. Kagome had given her a quick rundown of all the things she would need to know in her stint as babysitter. Basically all she had to do was keep the kids alive and well, keep an eye on them so they didn't destroy anything, and keep them out of her grandfather's study. The old man had stuck his head out only once since they returned to bid Kagome's mother goodbye as she left for classes and greet Sango at the same time, then he disappeared back into the room with the door closed firmly behind him.

Souta and Shippou were playing the elder boy's video games. Kagome had barely managed to pull them away long enough to say hello to the taijiya. Apparantly they were both trying for the high score and couldn't be bothered with such trivial things as food, sleep, or demon slayers from five hundred years in the past.

Kagome had gone to her room to change and get ready while Sango began her duties watching the boys. Yukito, displaying an already keen mind, seemed to remember Sango's scent from the brief time she had cared for him months before. He was currently chewing on a plastic ring and drooling in her lap. Kagome said he was teething and his fangs had already started to come in. Sango decided to watch her hands. The baby was clad only in a diaper, having shredded his shirt earlier when he managed to catch a newly developing claw in it. He then proceeded to become frustrated at not being able to remove it and jerked his hand until the little digit was free and the cloth was in shreds.

Sango couldn't get over how much the child had grown in only a few months. When they had first come by him she would swear he was only a few days old. But now he appeared for all the world to be a healthy young boy probably coming upon his first birthday. Youkai certainly matured at a different rate than humans. Some grew faster than humans. Some grew slower than humans. Some grew faster at first and then when they reached a certain point, grew slower. It all depended on their species. In her limited experience with kitsune, she had found they generally matured slower. However, that was obviously not the case with Jikan.

Grabbing his long, silver tail in his hands, he pulled it up to his chin and snuggled up with it as if it were a favorite stuffed toy, still chewing dutifully on his toy. "Nii!" he barked around the plastic in his mouth, one silver ear twitching in response, his eyes trained on the back of Shippou's head.

Turning her attention to the other two, she questioned, "What are you playing?"

The two boys locked in a grudge match in front of the tv didn't even look up.

"Kaiju Gao vs King Gojira." Souta said absently as he commanded his rampaging monster to destroy yet another unsuspecting city.

"It's really good." Shippou commented with a glazed expression, his own monster ravaging a mountain village and eating their chickens.

Sango watched as they continued to play, seemingly oblivious to the world around them. Their eyes were vacant and stared unblinkingly ahead at the flashing colors on the screen. "I wonder if they're under a spell." she pondered softly.

"ALRIGHT!" Souta suddenly yelled, jumping to his feet excited and making Yukito jump. Keeping his eyes locked on the screen and the controller firmly in his hand, he shouted, "FACE OFF!"

Shippou mimicked him, leaping to his feet as the words 'Enemy monster sighted - Face off for domination' flashed across the screen.

The two monsters then began duking it out as the boys pressed buttons frantically, Shippou's tongue poking out between his lips in concentration.

Sango shook her head and looked away. The future didn't seem quite so strange when Kagome had been explaining it. Looking down at the drooling kit in her lap, she smiled at him and said, "What about you? Do you think the future is strange?"

The kit turned his head backwards and up, regarding her upside down for a few minutes in curiousity before breaking into a large grin.

"That's what I thought." she chuckled as she averted his attempt to grab at her hair.

Footsteps on the stairs drew her attention and she turned to face the doorway, waiting for what had to be her friend to appear.

And appear she did. The second Sango laid eyes on the girl, she thought that surely this wasn't the same person. Gone was the sailor fuku and white socks to be replaced by a red, sleeveless dress and strappy red heels. Gone was the slightly untamed hair and innocent smile, replaced by elegant curls piled atop her head and the painted face of a woman. Smoky grey outlined her eyes and golden eyeshadow played over her lids, causing her blue eyes to seem to sparkle. Her reddened lips turned up in a smile as she regarded the girl before her playing with her youngest son.

"So," she asked, shifting her weight to one side and striking a pose, "How do I look?"

Sango was temporarily at a loss for words. Yukito finally managed to regain her attention by slipping out of her lap and crawling awkardly over to his mother, the plastic ring still clasped in his mouth. His tail swayed back and forth with his jerky movements and Sango was struck by how puppy-like he look at that moment.

"You look great, Kagome-chan." she replied as she stood up and walked over to her friend.

Kagome bent down to retrieve the kit as he latched onto her leg, lifting him into her arms and walking towards the kitchen. "Thank you, Sango-chan." she smiled at the girl following along behind her. Her heels clicked against the tile floor making Yukito cock his head to the side at the foreign sound as his ears twitched curiously. Quickly dismissing it as being inconsequential, he began reaching for a black curl just out of his reach.

His quest was thwarted however when Kagome promptly sat him down on the counter beside the sink and reached for a wet rag. As she cleaned the majority of the drool from his body, she spoke to her friend.

"He's been drooling a lot so you'll probably have to keep a bib on him if you don't wanna give him a bath. Can you hand me that?"

Sango looked to where Kagome was pointing and retrieved a yellow bag. Handing it to her, she said, "Got it. Bib at all times. So, what are you two doing tonight?"

As she struggled to get a little blue night shirt onto the equally struggling body, Kagome replied, "Oh, you know. The usual."

Sango bit her lip, wondering if she should mention that there was no usual for her. Women in her time usually had their husbands chosen for them by their fathers and rarely met them before the wedding. She hadn't even known what a date was until her friend had told her.

"Ano...what's the usual?" she questioned quietly

Moving from the shirt to a pair of tiny blue pants, she replied distractedly, "Dinner and dancing. We're going to an Italian resturant and then some fancy latin dance club. It'll be fun."

Finally managing to get the unhappy kit into his night clothes, she lifted him back into her arms and gave him a little bounce in an attempt to lighten his foul mood. It worked as he began giggling and hurled his chew ring at Sango who's instincts saved her from being struck in the head by the gooey toy.

"Yu-chan!" Kagome scolded. "You don't throw things!"

Crossing the room to pick up the toy from the floor, she waved the ring in front of his face and reprimanded, "Now you can't have this back until it's properly cleaned!"

Tossing the ring into the sink, along with a hoard of other dirty toys he liked to chew on, she turned back to Sango and immediately began to appologize. "I'm so sorry, Sango-chan. If it makes you feel any better, he only throws his toys at people he likes." A lie, of course. He threw his toys at everyone.

Sango, who had been mildly shocked to see a baby toy come flying at her head, smiled and laughed. "It's alright! I know he didn't mean anything by it."

The two girls then made their way back into the living room to find Souta and Shippou still sitting in a trance in front of the tv. Kagome rolled her eyes and stalked over to the console, quickly flipping the power switch off as well as the tv.

Immediately cries of protest began.

"Aw, okaasan! What'dcha do that for?" Shippou whined, trying his best to look pitiful and perching on Souta's shoulder.

"Yeah, neechan!" Souta chorused. "I was winning!"

Kagome remained unaffected. "You've been sitting there for the past four hours and I distinctly remembering mama telling you forty minutes ago that dinner was ready. You both said you were busy and proceeded to ignore both of us. That thing is rotting your brains. It's seven now. I want you both to go eat dinner and don't complain that it's cold. It's your own fault. After that I want you to do your homework and don't complain that it's Friday and that you can do it later! At nine thirty it's bedtime and I don't want to hear about you giving Sango a hard time. You brush your teeth, put on your jammies, get in bed and go to sleep. Understand?"

To puncuate the end of her speech, Yukito stuck his tongue out and blew, spraying the two boys with spit.

Shippou and Souta both looked horrified and began frantically wiping at their faces. "Oh gross! Baby goo!" Souta cried and proceed to flee the room with Shippou heading for the kitchen and, most likely, a clean towel.

Sango stared at the sight as Yukito began laughing and Kagome joined him.

"You tell them, Yu-chan!" she laughed. "Just don't point that thing my way."

The doorbell ringing broke through their laughter and Kagome left the room to answer it, asking Sango to check that the boys were doing as she said on her way.

Realizing it could be anyone from Kurama to Avon at the door, Kagome quickly cast an illusion over the kit in her arms making him appear human. The illusion of a kitsune child, though cast by the parent, often takes on characteristics the kit chooses, consciously or subconsciously and Kagome had noticed that Yukito's had changed over the past month or so. Originally his illusion simply gave him black hair and blue eyes, without the youkai aspects of course. But apparantly the kit had become enamoured of Kurama's red mane because his own was now a fiery red. Kurama himself said he found it flattering that the kit should choose to mimic him. Kagome found it somewhat embarrasing being unable to take him out with Kurama without getting strange looks. She even had one woman come up to her and ask how long she had been married and state that she looked too young to have a family.

Opening the door and expecting to see smiling green eyes, she was instead startled to find her three friends, Houjo and two other boys standing there.

"Yuka-chan! Eiri-chan! Ayumi-chan! Houjo-kun! What are you doing here?" she gasped. This evening was not starting out right.

Yuka grinned and held out a bag of candy. "Trick or treat!" she giggled.

"Did you forget it's Halloween, Higurashi-san?" Houjo asked, a smile upon his face. "We're all supposed to go to the dance at school."

Realizing that all of them were wearing costumes, she stammered, "I...I guess I did."

Yuka wore a blue skirt that looked like it was covered in scales and a seashell print top with a strand of fake pearls around her neck. Mermaid obviously. Eiri was dressed as a princess in a light purple gown with a plastic tiara pinned to her head. Ayumi was a fairy dressed in a sequined pink dress and with a sparkly foam wand in her hand. Houjo was wearing his school uniform for some reason with a black cape and a plastic bowtie. One of the other boys Kagome didn't recognize was dressed as, Kagome shivered, a spider, complete with extra arms. The other was dressed as a giant flyswatter.

Staring at the six teens before her, they stared back as their smiles slowly faded and their gazes shifted to the red-headed boy in her arms currently regarding them all with a curious expression.

"Kagome-chan?" Ayumi questioned as her eyes remained on the baby. "I didn't know you had another brother. Or are you babysitting tonight?"

"He can't be her brother." Eiri wisely put in. "Her father passed away several years ago. Perhaps he is a cousin?"

Leaning closer to the stammering girl, Yuka said with a gleam in her eye, "May we come in, Kagome-chan?"

"Ah, sure." she said and stepped back from the door to allow them entrance.

Yuka led the others confidently through the house, having been there many times before, and made her way to the living room where she claimed a seat on the sofa. The others took up seats as well.

Before any of the others could speak, Houjo motioned to the unknown boy dressed as a spider and said, "Ah, Higurashi-san. This is a distant cousin, Saionji Makoto, who is visiting me." Then motioning to the other, Mr. Flyswatter, continued, "This is my other cousin, Ichijo Kyosuke."

The boy inclined his head to her and she responded in kind. "Nice to meet you, Saionji-kun, Ichijo-kun." she said, sitting down across from them in a chair. "My name is Higurashi Kagome."

"Now, Kagome-chan." Yuka said, interupting any other pleasantries that could be traded. "You ARE going with us to the dance, right?"

"No, I'm sorry." Kagome replied, finally regaining her senses. "I'm afraid I made other plans. I didn't mean to, but I didn't remember at the time that I had promised to go with you all tonight."

"Well," Ayumi chirped. "That just means you'll have to cancel since you made plans with us first!"

"I can't." Kagome said quickly, "He's already on his way."

The three girls eyes lit up at that comment and Houjo looked slightly upset. The other two boys remained stoically calm, Saionji watching Kagome with amber eyes.

'Amber?' Kagome did a double take and discovered that he did indeed have amber eyes. However, just as soon as she focused on them, they turned a common brown. 'Odd.' she thought to herself. 'Usually I can see through a youkai's illusion thanks to my miko powers. Is he a youkai? But how could he be related to Houjo-kun. But...Houjo-kun did say he was a distant cousin.'

"He?" Yuka's question brought her attention back to the conversation at hand. "Is it that violent, obsessive, possessive jerk?"

"Yeah!" Ayumi said. "Is it him? Is that why you're so dressed up? Are you going to the dance with him? Will we get to meet him? Why aren't you wearing a costume? It IS a costume party, you know?"

Kagome started to reply but Sango's strangled cry from the kitchen cut her off.

"Kagome-chan! Help!" she cried as she came dashing into the room. Ignoring the strangers in the room, she continued on in a frantic voice, "How old is that oden in the back of the fridge?"

"Why?" Kagome cried, leaping to her feet and jiggling Yukito who giggled at the impromtu ride.

Throwing her arms up into the air, Sango replied, "Shippou ate it!"

Kagome looked horrified to the kitchen doorway where Shippou came stumbling through, thankfully in his human form.

"K..Ka...Kaasan!" he choaked as he clutched at his throat. "I can't breathe!"

"Shippou-chan!" Kagome cried, racing over to him and sweeping him up into her arms and onto her other hip just as he collapsed unconscious. Quickly placing Yukito at her feet, Kagome began shaking Shippou, trying to rouse him.

"Sango!" she said, facing her friend. "Was it the oden in the blue bowl or the red one?

"The blue one." the frightened girl replied. It wouldn't look good if she had killed one of the kids before the mother even set foot out the door! Even if this WAS her first time babysitting!

"Blue?" Kagome asked calmer now and narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "You're sure?"

Sango nodded and Kagome turned her eyes to the seemingly unconscious boy in her arms. She then walked over to Souta's beanbag chair, opened her arms and dumped him into it. "Shippou!" she demanded, "Stop playing around!" When he didn't move and just kicked a leg out as if in a spasm, she cried, "Shippou, I made that oden for lunch!"

"Awww..." the kit moaned and sat up, looking abashed. "I was just playing, okaasan."

"Playing or not," Kagome scolded, "You scared both me and Sango and probably our guests as well!" She threw an arm out toward the people seated in the living room staring with wide eyes. "Now go to mama's room and think about what you've done!"

Slowly, Shippou stood and skulked across the floor, out the door, up the stairs and down the hall. They then heard a door shut above them.

"Mama-san's room?" Sango asked confused.

Kagome nodded. "There are no toys in there." she said and went to pick up Yukito who was attempting to crawl after Shippou calling "Nii!"

As she stood, Kagome froze. "Oh, Kami-sama." she groaned, realizing she had just punished her son in the same way her mother had punished her. "I'm getting old! I'm becoming my mother!"

Sango laughed, but the others were still stunned, having no clue what to make of the previous situation.

"Ah, Kagome-chan?" Eiri said, for once at a loss for words.

Turning to her friends, Kagome decided to try to play this cool. "Forgive me." she said and motioned to Sango. "This is Sango, a close friend. She's babysitting for me tonight since mama is at classes. Sango-chan, this is Eiri, Yuka, Ayumi, Houjo-kun and his cousins, Saionji-kun and Ichijo-kun."

"Hajimimashte." Sango said as she bowed to the still speechless six.

Just as they opened their mouths to begin questioning her again, two things happened, saving Kagome from another round of avoid-the-question. Souta yelled from the kitchen for someone to come help him reach a shelf and the doorbell rang once again.

Kagome quickly perked up. It had to be him this time! She wouldn't have to face her friends alone! Maybe his calm demenor would help her think up some kind of explanation. Souta yelled again and Kagome yelled back to stop yelling, that it's not polite. Then sweatdropped as she realized she had just yelled.

Turning to Sango, she asked, "Sango-chan, would you get the door please? I'll help Souta." Sango nodded and Kagome leaned closer to her so the others couldn't hear. "Remember, red hair equals right person!" then winked.

Sango giggled and nodded happily, going to answer the door eager to meet the new person in her friend's life. Kagome also took this opportunity to dash away.

She dawdled in the kitchen, not wanting to go back out and face her friends without some kind of explanation. She got Souta his cup and filled it with soda. She made sure he had what he wanted to eat and even warmed it for him despite what she had said previously. She grabbed Yukito's brush from his bag which was still sitting on the counter and brushed his red hair until he grabbed the brush from her and began chewing on the handle. She even washed his teething ring and gave it back to him, in an attempt to save the brush from his chibi fangs.

Finally she could stall no longer and was somehow going through separtion anxiety at the thought of not seeing Kurama for another few seconds. So, she returned to the living room.

Only to find Sango standing in a corner, Kurama sitting in her chair and the others watching him with keen facination. Yuka nudged Ayumi in the side and whispered, "red" before staring pointedly at Kurama's hair. Kurama was looking decidedly uncomfortable. No one was saying a word.

Yukito broke the silence with one fateful syllable.

"Tou!" he cried and began reaching for the nervously shifting fox under a silent interrogation by what he considered his intended mate's three female friends.

Heads whipped around and all eyes turned to the oblivious chibi in Kagome's arms reaching for Kurama with an innocent, beaming smile. Kagome and Kurama locked eyes.

Sure, it was cute when he called him that in private. It was natural, after all. Kurama was the only adult male constantly in the kit's life who wasn't a wrinkled old man or his mother's sibling. It made sense that he would latch onto Kurama as his father figure. It was not, however, appropriate at this very moment.

As if coming to some decision, Kurama smiled and stood up. Walking calmly across the floor, he never lost eye contact with the girl holding what he was sure everyone in the room, save Sango, believed was his progeny. Stopping before her, he casually leaned down and placed a chaste kiss upon her lips.

"Komban wa, Kagome-chan." he said, before he took the kit in his arms.

Kagome's expression turned from shock at her son's outburst to a smile, realizing that Kurama was undaunted and had indeed given her an idea to escape questioning. Act normal.

Yukito giggled happily at being held by what he belived to be his father and grabbed a lock of Kurama's hair in his chubby little fist. "Tou!" he cried again and gave a little tug.

"Komban wa, Yu-chan." he said with a gentle laugh to the kit.

Everything seemed to start up again as the three teenage girls leapt over the back of the couch and instantly set upon what appeared to be a happy little family. Crowding around them smootheringly close, they began to pelt them with questions.

"Kagome-chan! Is he your son?"

"Kagome-chan! Is he the father?"

"Kagome-chan! Why didn't you tell us?"

"How could you?"

"What about school?"

"Are you going to quit?"

"Is this why you were never at school?"

"Why didn't you TELL us? We're your friends!"

"Higurashi-san." a sad murmuring from Houjo as he slowly walked up behind the girls.

The other boy, Saionji, actually wore a small smile as he joined his cousin and said nothing.

A toy flying through the air put an abrubt halt to the questioning.

A gasp came from Yuka as the, luckily clean, object smacked her in the head and fell to the floor.

"Uhhhh..." Kagome began, not knowing what to say and laughing hysterically in her head. "Yu-chan doesn't like it when people he doesn't know get too close."

It was true. Kitsune had a very strong sense of pack and family. Anyone who's scent they didn't recognize, especially when they're as young as he, became a potential threat. It also didn't help that they were giving off enough contrasting vibes to make a lesser youkai's head spin.

Before the questioning could start up again, Kagome said quickly, "Alright! Let's do this quickly! I've got a date to get to! Names and it's out the door for everyone except Sango!"

Not giving anyone a chance to reply, she turned to a still kindly smiling Kurama and said, "This is my boyfriend, Minamino Shuuichi and NO, before you ask, he is not the violent, possessive jerk. I broke up with said jerk several months ago. This," she put a hand on Yukito's head, "is Yukito. Higurashi Yukito. That," motioning to Sango who was still staying out of the way, "is Sango." Continuing on, she got to the six teens stunned into silence. "This is Yuka, Eiri, Ayumi, Houjo-kun, Ichijo-kun and Saionji-kun. The kid who decided to play dead was Shippou. That," she pointed behind her to where two forms stood watching the proceedings hidden mostly behind the door, "is my little brother Souta and my Jiichan. I'm Higurashi Kagome and now it's time for everyone to leave!"

Still not giving anyone a chance to speak, she began herding them towards the door. Kurama watched amused as half a dozen protesting people were shoved out the door by a single girl and had it quickly slammed behind them with a "Nice seeing you! Hope to see you again not so soon! Ja!"

With a sigh, Kagome walked back into the living room. Sango had her back pressed against the wall from where the six had been pushed past her and was looking around with a supremely confused expression. Kurama smiled at her, not caring that Yukito batted a lock of his hair back and forth with vigor.

"Long night already?" Kurama asked with a smirk, walking towards her.

'Why did that just sound incredibly wrong?' Kagome wondered but just replied, "Nothing I couldn't handle."

'Wow. That did not sound right.' Kurama thought to himself.

/Oh! Are we playing games already/ Youko laughed wildly.

/You're not my real father/ Kurama responded quickly with a small mental chuckle.

An image of a confused Youko appeared in the blackness of their shared mind. His head cocked to the side, he made a questioning sound.

An image of the red-headed Kurama appeared before him with a blank stare. /Nevermind./

The Youko image shrugged it's shoulders. /You watch too much ningen tv./

/Not according to kaasan./ Kurama replied, turning away from his counterpart to watch something only he could see. /What do you want? I don't want you ruining my date with Kagome-chan./

/I wanna take over/ Youko shouted vehemously, jumping towards the other him with excitment.

Kurama quickly spun around, his outfit changing to priests robes. Holding his arm out before him, he brandished a cross at the attacking kitsune. /Back, Demon/ he yelled dramatically.

Youko crashed mid-leap. Looking up, he sweatdropped. /You've had coffee, ne/

Kurama dropped his arm and managed to look halfway innocent. /No/

Youko sat up, crossed his arms and legs and stared at the redhead. /I'm you, y'know. All I have to do is sift through your memories from today and.../

Kurama sweatdropped now. /Okay, maybe a little. But after eluding fangirls for three hours during school I amassed quite a bit of missed work and needed something to keep me awake while I finished it this evening and I couldn't very well go on my date and fall asleep in my plate or collapse on the dance floor or be yawning all the way through because I'm sure Kagome would think I thought she was boring and it would be rude anyway and/

/You're babbling./ Youko interrupted.

Kurama closed his mouth with an audible click and paused a moment before opening it again. /Okay, so maybe I should have stopped at the third cup./

/Why don't you let me take over then? Since you're currently inebriated./ Youko smirked.

Kurama glared at him. /No way. Same body, remember? It'd be ten times worse if you were in control./

/Well in that case...she's been trying to get your attention for the past three minutes./

/What/ Kurama gasped. /Why didn't you tell me/

/What can I say? I like causing havoc./ Youko said with a sly grin.

Kurama fixed his youkai half with an equally sly expression and smirked. /Y'know, if you ruin my chances with Kagome-chan, you also lose your chance with her. In essence, you're screwing yourself over./ Then he disappeared, leaving the youko to gape.

Youko's jaw dropped. /K'so/

**Chapter Sixteen**

Season of Romance

Part Three

As the sun set on Sengoku Jidai, a figure in houshi's robes wandered about the woods. A bouquet of flowers wilting in his hand, he looked through the trees with searching violet eyes.

"Oh, Sango-sama?" he called in a sing-song voice into the deepening darkness. "Where are you? Your houshi-sama has a surprise for you."

A gentle breeze blew, causing the leaves to rustle and the houshi shivered. Not from cold. No. What caused him to shiver was what a miko from the future called his 'Spidy Sense'." His holy powers were telling him clearly that a demon was sneaking up on his rear. His thoughts clear, he spun about just as it was close enough to attack and brought his staff down upon it's head, sending it crashing into the forest floor.

"ITAI YO!"

"Oops. Sorry InuYasha."

InuYasha glared angrily up at the houshi. Leaping to his feet, he grabbed Miroku's staff and promptly bopped him on the head with it.

"Gyah!" As the metal collided with his skull, Miroku fell to the ground swirly-eyed.

Throwing the staff down upon the houshi's prone body, InuYasha asked angrily, "What the hell are you doing wandering around out here? I've been looking for you!"

Sitting up, Miroku rubbed the lump on his head. "I was looking for my lovely Sango-sama, of course. Why were you searching for me?"

InuYasha crossed his arms and huffed. This was wasting valuable time. "Baka houshi. She went to Kagome's time. I was looking for you because Kagome asked me to tell you." Turning away, he continued, "I'm leaving for a while and I thought you should know before I left."

Managing to stand as the pounding in his head subsided, Miroku asked curiously, "Why did Sango go to Kagome-sama's time?"

"I don't know!" InuYasha replied, growing irritated. He should have already been far away by now.

"Where are you going?" Miroku questioned almost innocently. His hanyou friend was going off again. This could be his only chance to find out where he disappeared to. And why his absences coincided with Kouga's appearances. He had his suspicions, but he had to be sure.

InuYasha angrily spun about to face the smiling houshi. Baring his fangs, he growled, "It's none of your business, houshi!" He didn't have time for this!

Miroku continued to smile. "Well, if it isn't that important, could you please help me to cross to Kagome-sama's time? I have something very important to discuss with Sango-sama." If he could delay InuYasha from leaving long enough, perhaps there would be a run-in with the wolf prince. Preferably somewhere with a lot of witnesses. Plus, he really did want to see Sango. He had gone through a lot of trouble to get time alone with her and didn't want to see it ruined simply because they were separated by several centuries.

"Feh." InuYasha responded. "I guess I could try. But I make no promises that it'll work and if I get caught in the rain I'm coming after you!"

"Rain?" Miroku asked.

Sniffing the air, InuYasha replied, "I smell rain on the wind. I wanna get somewhere dry before it starts up."

A smirk crossed Miroku's lips. "You know, Kaede-sama would probably let you stay in her hut til it stopped."

"Shut up!"

Twenty minutes later, Miroku was left standing in the middle of a modern day shrine by the hanyou and wondering what in the hell to do now.

Kagome smiled and adjusted her grip on her date's hand. Dinner had been wonderful. It had been a while since she had enjoyed a night of non giggling schoolgirl company and more sophisticated entertainment than a cheesy romance flick. Sometimes she forgot what it was like to act her age. She had been in the guise of a human teenager for so long she often wondered if perhaps she had forgotten that she wasn't just that. But being with Kurama made her realize that, no matter how she may pretend to be otherwise, she was a grown youkai woman. Being in his company brought out the inner her.

Kurama felt a weight settle against his shoulder and glanced over at his companion. He smiled at seeing Kagome resting her head upon him with a content expression. Dinner had left him with the same contentedness that was showing in her smile. They had talked pleasantly about everything they could think of. At first, Kurama had been reluctant to tell Kagome about his past as Youko, even though he was sure the stories she had heard were bad enough. She seemed to sense this and instead told him stories of her own to put him at ease. His innocent Kagome, he learned, was actually far from it.

She told him about her life before her family decided to pretend to be humans. But what shocked Kurama was her tales of what she termed her 'wild teenage years'. Apparently, she had been less than choosy about her lovers and had an angry, violent bloodlust. A bloodlust that her father had quickly put a stop to by threatening to send her to the lord of Amado for Taming.

Taming was something most youkai feared. It would strip them of all their powers, leaving them a defenseless human. The Tamed were outcasts in youkai society and the idea of such happening to her had been enough to set her straight.

After hearing her story and noting certain similarities to his, he had recounted a few tales of his own. And now they were on their way to the Tenko Myobu, a kitsune-owned club for humans, where they planned to round out their night of dinner and dancing.

Approaching the club, they both noticed a long line stretching halfway down the block, a lot of irate people and two very pissed off looking bouncers guarding the entrance.

Kagome looked up at her date and pouted cutely. "Looks like we're gonna have a long wait."

Kurama smiled back at her and winked. "Not necessarily."

Bypassing the line of people who glared at them as they passed, they went straight to the front of the line where Kurama flashed one of the bouncers a dashing smile. The large man just glared back undaunted.

"We're on the list." Kurama spoke.

"Name?" the man asked gruffly while pulling out a clipboard.

With a smug smirk, Kurama leaned closer, his eyes flashed to gold and he said in a dangerously low voice, "Youko Kurama."

In a heartbeat the man's attitude changed. His eyes went wide. He started stuttering nervously and stumbled over his words as he quickly unhooked the rope baring the door and ushered them inside. As the two harmless looking humans passed by, the man sighed and sagged against the wall. 'Close call.' he thought to himself. 'I don't feel like seeing my intestines tonight.'

"Thank you." a kind voice said over his shoulder as red hair and smiling green eyes filled his vision once more.

"AAAHHHH!" the man shrieked as Kurama giggled mischievously and ducked back inside the door.

Clutching his chest, the man fell to the ground in a dead faint.

Kagome giggled as Kurama led her farther into the club. "That poor man." she laughed and gently prodded him in the side, ignoring the masses of people crowding about. "Someone's in a playful mood tonight."

Kurama grinned wolfishly and pulled her close, wrapping an arm around her waist. Leaning down, he whispered in her ear, "What if I am? What would you say then?"

Grinning her own version of his smile, she responded, "I'd say it's a school night and you're a teenager."

Laughing, he bent down and secured a hand under her legs and proceeded to literally sweep her off her feet. As he hoisted her up into his arms. she laughed and threw her arms around his neck. "Watch it, ojouchan!" he teased playfully. "I've got a good five centuries on you!"

"Oooh!" she exclaimed while smiling brightly, "We're gonna play that game! In that case, should I call you ojiichan?"

Maneuvering his head to nip at her earlobe, he responded, "I'd much prefer papa."

"Oooh, kinky." she responded breathily.

"Oi! Knock it off, you two!" a loud, familiar voice called.

Both of the kitsune whipped their heads up to stare at the intruder. Yusuke was trotting across the room with a smile plastered on his face, a grinning Keiko in tow. Kagome had the decency to blush as Kurama lowered her back to her feet and she turned to face the two. Kurama moved to stand beside her and kept an arm possessively around her waist.

"At least take it somewhere private!" Yusuke continued, coming to a stop in front of them.

"Yusuke." Kurama greeted with a false smile. 'My precious plans, foiled!' he mentally sobbed as Youko cackled maniacally in the background.

"Yusuke-kun! Keiko-chan!" Kagome greeted them with a real smile, her blush starting to disappear. "I didn't know you would be here!"

Keiko nodded, also smiling and blushing at what she had just seen. "Yes. Yusuke got rid of some really nasty demon thingys that had been using a back room of this club for a hideout and the owner gave him a VIP pass in gratitude. So we decided to check it out."

"That's great!" Kagome exclaimed happily. "We can make it a double date."

"Yes, that would be wonderful." Keiko responded cheerily.

In actuality, Kagome was not as happy as she appeared. As previously stated, she was enjoying being herself and being around more mature company. She also had plans involving a certain male and a little more than cute hand holding and polite slow dancing. But she couldn't very well tell Keiko to bug off, that she wanted to get frisky with her boy toy. So, she resigned herself to finishing the evening with teenage human company.

"Y'know?" Yusuke grinned, "It's bad enough thinking about what you two do when you're alone. I really don't need to see it every time I open my eyes."

'Or maybe not.' Kagome thought deviously. 'Maybe we can get rid of them without insulting them.'

Glancing at Kurama, she saw that he most likely had the same idea as she if the gleam in his eyes was anything to go by. Kurama smirked and moved to stand behind Kagome. Wrapping both arms around her, he pulled her close against him and leaned his chin on her shoulder. Kagome let her body mold to his and ran one hand up his thigh to rest teasingly on his butt.

"Why Yusuke," she purred rather evilly, startling poor Keiko, "I didn't know you thought about us that way."

"Yes, Yusuke." Kurama crooned, enjoying this game and even more so that Kagome was in a mood to play too, "Such thoughts." Moving his hand lower on her body to fall on her upper thigh, he murmured, "One would think you want to play with us." After a pause in which the two shared a passionate kiss, he continued with his gaze fixed on Yusuke, "I wouldn't mind if you did, you know. The more the merrier."

Kagome cackled in her head. Both Yusuke and Keiko's eyes had gone wide and Yusuke started to stutter out a denial, but was cut short when Kurama licked Kagome's neck seductively. It was her turn now.

Turning her eyes from Yusuke to Keiko, Kagome tilted her head back a bit to assist Kurama's ministrations and said, "Maybe Keiko-chan would like to play with us too?"

"But...but..." Keiko stuttered, her eyes locked onto what Kurama was doing to the pale flesh of her friend. "It's not right." she finally managed to breathe.

"Oh, but Keiko-chan," Kagome responded with a moan as her date found a particularly sensitive spot. "Youkai don't share the same social taboos as ningens. Especially not kitsune."

All Yusuke could do was stare in shock. Never had he known Kurama to act this way. And Kagome definitely didn't seem the type!

"What the hell's gotten into you two?" he demanded.

Dragging his tongue across Kagome's pulse point, Kurama fixed a smoldering emerald gaze on his friend. His words seemed to drip sex as he replied, "Kitsune are very sexual creatures, Yusuke. We, of course, have to temper it in the Ningenkai, but it doesn't stop us from being who we are."

Finally managing to gather his wits, Yusuke grabbed Keiko by the arm and exclaimed, "You two are acting weird! We're outta here!" And with that, he stormed off dragging a still stunned Keiko after him.

Kagome and Kurama fell into a laughing heap as they watched them leave.

"I think I scarred poor Keiko-chan for life with my comment about her!" Kagome laughed heartily.

"She'll be fine." Kurama responded with chuckles of his own. Standing, he offered her his hand with a smile. "Now let's dance."

The large bouncer from the front entrance who was in truth a youkai sat on a crate in a back alley as music thumped rhythmically from the building behind him and his girlfriend tried, without success, to calm him. He still hadn't managed to stop shaking and his eyes were wide with terror.

"I'm telling you, Maxine." he all but whispered, "I thought he was gonna feed me my own heart!"

The woman rolled her eyes as she handed him a Prozac. "Honestly, Jake. How do you even know it was really him? Ever since word spread about Youko Kurama-san's return, there's been people popping up left and right pretending to be him."

"Nuh-uh, Maxxy." he replied. "I didn't recognize him right away cause there were so many people, but it was him! Remember I worked security at the Tournament? I saw him there." His eyes darted back and forth as if searching for someone who could be listening and wet his lips before continuing. "We all thought he was just some weakling human trying to use the name of a legendary demon to make himself seem cool. Everyone was rooting for his opponent. But then...he changed!" he cried dramatically.

The woman rolled her eyes again, but he stopped her with a fierce stare. "Look, there ain't but one man who is a Jikan Kitsune and goes by the name of Kurama! And at this very moment he's tearing up the dance floor in that club," he gestured wildly to the building behind him, "in human form with some female I can only guess is that mate of his that I've been hearing about! And nobody but me knows it's him!"

The man panted in a mixture of shock, fear and anger at her disbelief. She merely shook her head, rolled her eyes and patted him placatingly on the head. "Of course, dear. I believe you."

"Houshi-sama, I don't think you should get too close right away. He doesn't recognize your scent."

"Don't be silly, Sango. Children love me! OWW! HE BIT ME!"

"Be careful, houshi-sama." Sango warned as Miroku playfully dangled his staff for a giggling Yukito. "He has a tendency to chew on ri... Nevermind."

Miroku sweatdropped as he attempted to extract his holy staff from the mouth of the beast.

Miroku shuddered as a blob of vomit rolled off his shoulder and hit the floor. This was not the romantic evening he had in mind. Who knew a simple game of "fly like a bird" could go so horribly wrong?

"Get it off! Get it off!"

Sango shuddered as she watched Miroku dance around the room with a dirty diaper stuck to his back. Maybe she should have warned him before he went to change the diaper that Yukito liked to throw things at people? Hey, at least it wasn't his head.

"Hey! What's this?" Souta exclaimed as he picked up Miroku's discarded staff. The monk was currently locked in the bathroom washing himself repeatedly.

"Oh, cool!" Shippou exclaimed. "That's Miroku's staff! He uses it to fight youkai!"

"Really?" Souta asked starry-eyed. Shippou nodded. Souta looked thoughtful.

"Let's go find Buyo!"

The two boys frolicked off happily. Light jingling could be heard from the living room. "Oh, Buuuuuyoooooo." Souta singsonged. A loud thwack, a high-pitched screech and one very angry demon slayer later the two boys were in separate corners of the room with their noses to the wall.

"Sango, what's a playboy bunny?" Miroku asked, sticking his head into the kitchen. Sango was watching Yukito while he entertained the two older boys.

"I don't know, houshi-sama." she replied. "Why?"

"Because the boys want to watch one on that metal box. Should I let them?"

"I guess so. It's just a bunny."

"By all that is holy! WHAT is THAT? That's not right! Make it go away!"

"Oh come on, houshi-san! It's just getting good! Look!"

"My eyes! They burn! SAAAANGOOOOO!"

TBC


	3. BLLLGLGB by InuGirlFan1

Disclaimer: This story was written by InuGirlFan1, not Inuyasha Adventures. This story is an entry for the Spring '05 Fan Fiction contest. If you would like to vote on this story to win the contest or any other entry, please use the link on the profile page. Thank you, InuGirlTeen.

**Bad Luck Losing Love, Good Luck Getting it Back**

**by InuGirlFan1**

Kagome had just been hurt very badly by a demon. Inuyasha looked at her sadly "I'm sorry Kagome."

She looked at him in pain, "Sorry for wh...what?"

He said, "I'm sorry I let that demon hurt you." He stood up and picked her up. "We should get you to Keade's hut." He began hopping towards Keade's hut. As soon as he got there he ran in. "Keade! Keade! Kagome was hurt by a demon. Can you help her?" He laid Kagome down on the floor. Keade walked to them and after she saw what was wrong with Kagome she frowned and said "Inuyasha, Kagome has only an hour to live. The demon that attacked her was a poisonous one. I am sorry I do not have the things to heal her."

Inuyasha was about to cry but didn't. He sat beside Kagome and whispered in her ear "I love you, and I'm sorry." After an hour had passed Kagome was dead. Inuyasha ran away. He stopped at an old oak tree. He jumped on a branch and began crying tears of guilt and sadness. He said to himself "I can't believe it! I can't believe she is really gone" Kouga had been passing by and heard what Inuyasha had said. So he said "Not like I care or anything, but who is gone?" Inuyasha looked down at him. He still had tears in his eyes. He said "Back off Kouga I can kill you now!"

Kouga looked at Inuyasha and said, "The only way you could kill me is if you were strong enough and Kagome was gone. But neither of those would ever happen." Inuyasha looked at Kouga in fury and said, "She is gone forever!" More tears began forming in his eyes. Kouga said, "You mean you let her die! I'm gunna have to kill you stupid mutt! I can't believe you let my woman die!"

Inuyasha glared at him. Then he pulled his sword from the sheath and jumped down from the tree. He aimed at Kouga. Kouga stood there like it wouldn't hit him. Then Inuyasha yelled "WINDSCAR" Kouga died. Inuyasha said to himself, "O great I'm becoming a murderer!â"

Inuyasha walked back to the others and told them about how he killed Kouga and stuff. They were all happy, but then he told them about Kagome. Everybody was crying except for Miroku who was praying. Sango went to Inuyasha and hugged him and said, I'm sorry Inuyasha." More tears came down her face. "This is horrible!" She then let go of Inuyasha. Shippou then jumped on Inuyasha's lap and began yelling at him "I HATE YOU INUYASHA! ITS ALL YOUR FAULT KAGOME IS GONE! I HATE YOU I HATE YOU I HATE YOU I HATE YOU I HATE YOU!"

Inuyasha stood up and walked away. Then he saw Kagome. She said, "Inuyasha, I am your guardian angel. I will always be with you." Then she disappeared.

Inuyasha was shocked. Then he was happy. That night it was really cold and Inuyasha slept under a tree.

In Heaven with Kagome

Kagome watched Inuyasha sleep. Just then someone touched her shoulder and said "Kagome Higurashi, It was not your time to come here. Do you want to go back?" She nodded. "Then stand still this won't hurt a bit."

With Inuyasha

Inuyasha woke up to see Kagome. He said, "Hi Kagome" She looked at him and smiled warmly and said, "Inuyasha I am here to stay!" He got up and hugged her then kissed her. He inhaled her jasmine scent and said, "I love you Kagome" Kagome said the same to him. Then they kissed.

The next day it was Kagome's birthday. Inuyasha gat her a new bow and arrow. She loved it. She said, "Thank you Inuyasha" he just gave her a kiss.

After Kagome's party was over she asked Inuyasha "Where is Kouga? I haven't seen him lately." Inuyasha looked down and pointed at the ground and said "I put him where he deserves to be, Hell." Kagome looked at him wide eyed and said "YAY YOU ROCK!" Inuyasha looked at her like she was stupid and then felt her forehead asking, "Are you feeling all right?" He laughed. She hit him in the stomach and said "shut-up!"

Inuyasha backed away from her slowly and said "I'm getting tired. I am going to sleep." Kagome snuggled beside him.

The next morning Inuyasha woke up to find everybody gathered around him and Kagome. He asked, "What do you guys want?" They answered "Nothing" Inuyasha got up followed by Kagome.

Kagome hugged all of her friends. But when she got to Miroku of course he groped her earning him self at big bump on his head from Sango's boomerang. Kagome said, "I missed you guys so much!" They all agreed that they missed her to. Shippou jumped in Inuyasha's arms and said, "I'm sorry Inuyasha, I don't hate you. I just missed Kagome and I took it out on you." Shippou hugged Inuyasha and Inuyasha said, "Its ok Shippou."

Then they all walked away happily.

* * *

I know it sucks I only did this for Inugirlteen. Anyway please vote for me! O.O; 


	4. Crop Dance by Kalliel

Disclaimer: This story was written by Kalliel, not Inuyasha Adventures. This story is an entry for the Spring '05 Fan Fiction contest. If you would like to vote on this story to win the contest or any other entry, please use the link on the profile page. Thank you, InuGirlTeen.

**Crop Dance**

**by Kalliel**

_Alternate universe; Rated PG (or K+)_

Summary: Kagura x Sesshoumaru Had she been a goddess, he would have been the full moon residing beside her. But she was only a scarecrow; an observer, and he but a passing freeze. WARNING: tools of irony, metaphors and personification at work.

Part I: Design 

She opened her eyes just long enough to glimpse the farmer and his perfect daughter walking away from her. _It's cold, it's cold_, she whined. _Why do you leave me in this wasteland? _Then she clamped her eyes shut again. Or tried to.

It was then she discovered that she could not. Her eyes were of glass; small beads left over from a necklace the girl in white had bought in the market a year before. She tried to follow after them, only to find that she was bound to a splinter of rotting wood with rusted nails and fraying string.

Oh, oh how she wished to follow those two, into their home, through lockless doors that invited her into their warming sensitivity.

But what was she to them? A tool for cultivation. She would have cried then, but she could not bring tears to the glass beads she had for eyes.

What was the point of having a scarecrow in midwinter, the child asked. She was pale and beautiful and young; why did she bother to concern herself with the stuffing of scarecrows for her father's fields?

Only her father lived with that child, her parental lineage not truly set in stone. He did not answer, only continued to stuff stiff straw into the worn clothing his daughter had obligingly patched up for the occasion.

"Your sister, your sister," was all he muttered, and the girl thought, how could a doll with bonds to a wooden stake outside and a free human like her ever be sisters?

Scarecrows were a little known art. While others merely stuffed materials in every which way, the girl's father knew there was skill involved. Carefully, with purpose, did the farmer weave the straw and wool and rosemary together, stroking the work-worn clothing riddled with thinning threads of red and white.

"Why rosemary?" the daughter asked, and her father replied, "Obedience."

Why an insignificant thing like a scarecrow would need a trifle like obedience, when it was to be nailed to a stake, the girl did not know.

How long had it been since she had had a glimpse of the pretty little girl and her father? _Forever, forever_, her heart whispered. _Never, never_, the doubts clouded her obsidian gaze.

The dust of snow lit on her shoulders, and stuck in her corn-husk tresses. From her prison-stake, she had a perfect view of the sky and its actions. Eyes unsleeping, she observed silken tents of billowing clouds.

The formations that were supposed to calm the nerves—nerves she knew she didn't actually possess—were the things that most frightened her. Huge, towering masses, of rain-bearing tapestries.

She did not revel in the rain—her straw and clothes became saturated with stagnant water from the sky. Were they the God's tears weeping for her situation?

And then it got moldy. That was the worst part. Sitting through nights of stormy tempest, and suffering through the day as it ate away at her insides and infested her body with rot.

But the wind… It cleared away the clouds and brought a lightness to her swaying body that gave her the illusion of freedom. Sometimes, when she had nothing at all to ponder, she could let go of her claims to reality and pretend she ruled the wind. That it soared with her permission only, and in whatever direction she willed it.

But it was always only a fleeting emotion. She was forever trapped by wood and iron and so much more that one could only vaguely outline.

But for the love of a question, why could she not be the wind? _Why…_

And then she did stop dancing among the breezes, to think on that a little further. A chill burst flew up the stake she was displayed on and into the heart of her body, and she shuddered. _What was that?_

And then it was gone, leaving a trail of frost on the ground below her. So quickly had it disappeared—like it had wanted to be rid of her intrusive presence.

Like it was the messenger that had come to tell her that the world did not care what became of her in the coming months.

Part II: Flower Gathering 

Months passed, and with them came new stuffings for the scarecrow, as well as many, many doubts.

A _scarecrow_, she was. And that was all. Only a fabrication of the farmer's need to protect his fields. Then why had she given herself a name? Come next winter they would only tear her down and make a new doll. "_My name is Kagura," _became her mantra. _Kagura, Kagura, Kagura…_

Her sewn lips whispered the name like a dangerously forbidden secret. Sometimes, it was a poisonous, choking word, and at others, like the fluid dance of gales. Now was one of the latter.

Had the little white child come out to her that morning, to give her a gift of such undeserved elegance? Rings of jade stone, the child had presented she, the scarecrow, with.

Oh, oh! Such joy dearest 'Kagura' had felt then. Acceptance by those she believed to favor most. She could feel herself smile ever so slightly, and wondered if anyone else could notice her elation.

No one did, nor would anyone have understood why if they had.

How was she to know that the jade earrings were only hard, bitter fruits forced onto a twine string by bluntest needle?

Even so, Kagura decided that this 'spring', as the farmer and his daughter called it, was her favorite season. There was a gentle wind, bringing no heavy rains, and small flowers sprouted at her dangling feet, brushing against her with a feather-light touch.

And there was company. The farmer came out frequently, sowing the fields for planting and expertly—he was precise in everything he created— spreading seeds into ditches, carefully dropping three corn kernels into every hole as his daughter watched, fluttering in Kagura's wind, like a small snowflake that survived through the melting rays of spring.

Then the corn began to sprout, small sprigs at first, but all the same growing up tall and straight. Then was the time that Kagura knew her period of usefulness had reached its peak. She was to protect the sweet, young corn from the crows.

But…the crows did nothing. And they most certainly did not fear her. They jeered, laughing and flitting close before leaving, chastising her inability to follow. _I am keeping them away._ She lied to herself.

She needed the cool touches of wind then, withdrawing from the heightening temperature of the oncoming summer. _Crow, crow, where has the frost gone?"_

_Silly thing, _it crowed. A thing, it called her. A thing! _The frost chases flame, which chases death. Things must come in full circle. Only the wisest beings see frost but more than once._

Kagura did not understand—though she did hear the quiver of fear in the crow's call that came with those words. Fire and ice, eh?

If she did not know the meaning of the crow's riddle, she would soon. A prayer in spring sung itself to her, as she glanced down at the snow-bud blooms beneath her. They reminded her of the snow flurries the frost had brought.

Part III: The Sound of Trees Dying 

She had heard that sound the day before. And the many days before, after the crows left.

It haunted her playground; the festering crackle and squirm invaded her wooden ears and growled at her form in the fields. Every so often, she would see a few black beads flitting across the clearing, back and forth, back and forth, carrying tidings of ill fortune and carrying Kagura's attempts at contentedness one step backward.

_What could those awful hisses be? _She wept inside, lacking the freedom to even shed her tears.

And then the raid came. From the trees, an awful upwelling of darkness terminated the sun's rays, sinking Kagura into darkness.

This darkness, though, was not the cooling touch of nightfall. The black surge bombarded her from every direction, gnawing on her wooden stake, before rejecting her musty taste for the sweeter corn.

_Go away! Please! I need… to keep this crop safe! I need… to make the farmer and his daughter bring me into their warmth…_ She protested, but to no avail.

The insects ripped at the tender, unripe kernels, and each little bit crushed Kagura inside. _Please…_

The feast continued. Days upon days, until Kagura was sure that there could not possibly be more harvest to devour. And yet, still more insects flew in, cascading in mighty showers from a cliff dwelling high above, perhaps even as far as the stars themselves.

_Saimyoushou! _A haughty voice resoundedfrom across the valley, echoing from a cliff dwelling and spreading like wildfire with rapture, eating the very earth on the outskirts of her field.

_Who—_She started, before the fire blazed directly in front of her eyes teasingly.

_Blaze._ He whispered in her ear before darting off to turn the remaining soil and plant into fodder for his being.

_So, he is freeze's brother?_ Kagura scoffed. _There is no resemblance, then._

Blaze whirled around, sending a whirlwind of embers into the air. _Is that what you think?_

Kagura glared at him rebelliously, and nodded as best she could.

_I don't think so either, but I don't think you're in a position to _judge _such, scarecrow. _He loomed in front of her for an ominous moment, before his eyes caught sight of the small home that the farmer and his daughter shared. _But first…_

_No! _Kagura desperately fought for movement. _Please…don't!_

Blaze ignored her wishes, grinning back devilishly. _If it weren't for them, I'd be free. _He rushed toward the beam building, wavering in anticipation of their deaths.

_Free? _Like the wind. Kagura wanted that, too. But, blaze _was _free, was he not? Or maybe… Maybe there was something more to freedom than being able to float in the breezes and dance wherever whims would wish.

Within heartbeats, blaze was thrown back with great force by a sudden gale. The farmer and his daughter, who had been attempting to escape, clung to each other helplessly.

Kagura felt the cold slap of a torrential downpour from the sky, slamming into her flaming parts to douse the fire's light. The combined forces ripped her apart, undoing the carefully braided parts and destroying her body.

_Freeze…? _She rasped as her body fell from its pole onto the brazen earth. _You brought…the rain. The _rain _that I fear so. _Then, Kagura was scared. How could her saviour bring such terrors? Then she disappeared and her thoughts died with her.

The farmer's daughter watched her father through thick-paned windows as he inspected the damage the poisons and fire had caused. It was as though he had stepped into a disused graveyard, and sought the bodies of the dead who had lain there. Nothing was left.

She glanced back at the worktable and the contents laid out on its surface, and at the husk of a doll that was once Kagura. Catching a flurry of dust in the air with dreamy idleness, she picked up a thick needle and began to thread it in and out of a coarse burlap sack.

Repairing the scarecrow was time-consuming, and even though the small white girl did not stray from her task, Kagura's body hung upon the mending wall for many days. When her eyes were finally sewn on, the first thing she saw was the devastated field she had called home, singed black, with the crimson and ochre sunset flaring on the horizon.

She screamed.

When Kagura was finally placed back in her field—for purely decorative purposes now—the line of trees that had divided her from more fields had vanished.

Betrayal.

How could he? How _could _he? There were more fields! And more scarecrows like her! She swayed in the light wind furiously, damning her worrisome thoughts. _I thought I had failed! That they would starve!_

But no, they had many more fields, stretching as far as the vantage point allowed. So she was only a doll in a collection of many.

So that's how it all played out, wasn't it. A doll.

–

Part IV: My November Guest 

Kagura watched as the flames flickered jovially from burner to burner, and their spirit rested on a tree fallen across a pond—a pond that had had not even held the slightest trickle since its creation.

_So, that means frost didn't kill you then. _Kagura glared in his direction, flapping uselessly on her post.

_Of course not. _Blaze scoffed, the torches burning a little brighter as he spoke. _Dearest November guest, I have lived for eternity. It's not about to change. You, on the other hand…_Blaze swept closer, licking dry reeds and setting them alight, before they starved themselves offodder, and the light dissipated.

_You, are quite the opposite. 'Death' would love to see your pretty face _again, _wouldn't he?_

Kagura tensed.

_Look at the lights over there. So you know what they are? No, of course not. And want to know a secret? Neither do I. It isn't my domain any longer. A long time ago, my lights were the _only _lights. Now, there's those things. Things are changing, Kagura, was it? Those people you worship, they can replace you too. With something bigger, better than mediocre scarecrows._

Kagura stared at him in disbelief. _But, you wanted that, didn't you? Your freedom…_

Blaze laughed, curling his tongue against her throat. _Obscurity isn't freedom. _

And then he was gone, skipping though the torches and up into the main bonfire of the festivities in the distant village.

In the days following the harvest festival and her talk with blaze, Kagura's thoughts avoided his words, giving them a much larger birth than was probably needed.

Instead, she concerned herself with the coming winter. As she had known before, scarecrows were only a year's work of effort for a year's worth of days. What would become of her when the winter came again?

Bead-eyes scanning the vast billows of the now empty fields, all the other scarecrows had been taken down, while their crop was being harvested. What about her? Had they forgotten?

_Obscurity isn't freedom. _No. no, no! She couldn't think about that. Forcing herself to think on a different topic, Kagura began to call in earnest for the winter. So they would take her down. Freeze would be there.

And right now, she needed his icy competence nearby more than ever.

_But…_ Today was certainly a day for contradictions, wasn't it? If the freeze came, then so would the storms.

_What does that matter anymore? My fields were destroyed, I was incinerated, and forgotten—for the time being. I will wait for the freeze _and _his storms and I will be protected by him. Somehow._

She felt a small shower of the first rains of winter drop onto her. Smiling grimly and steadfast, with those thoughts in mind, she kept her eyes trained on the farmer, out for a late walk.

Why the scarecrow thought she would be protected by winter's touch, or why she thought it would do her well, only the winds know.

_--_

Part V: The Span of Life 

Blaze tore down a chimney stack and festered in the fireplace of the farmer's family home. Bright, fluorescent lights shone in his eyes as he writhed in pain, trying to gather himself.

_No, _he protested weakly. _Those lights, they're…_

_They're what, brother. _Curling licks of condensation swept under the door, and blaze looked up at freeze. _Replacements?_

_Don't start that with me! _Blaze coughed. _I only—_

Freeze caught his eye and bored into him. _There will be new innovations for heat, for light; but I am the only bringer of cold and storms. _He advanced confidently.

_Is that what you think? _Blaze shouted, voice catching. _'Cause you're wrong._

Freeze kept slinking towards his brother, without so much as a hitch in step. _Brother dear, don't toy with that scarecrow. _He bent down eye to eye with blaze.

_You…have feelings for her? _Blaze chortled, sputtering as the rain shook the foundations of the cabin and scattered like stray sparks down the chimney. _I can't believe you actu—_

And then he was gone.

Freeze turned away and walked back into his storm.

The stars completing the constellation humans called _canis major _shown unusually bright that night.

Kagura looked up at the sky in wonderment, bedazzled by the sight of the rain, which fell from that cluster of stars.

They were the star splitters, filtering the opalescent hues from the dark, and spreading them into rain and sky.

With the chill effects of freeze's presence, the sky was much clearer than on the day she had spent with blaze. Then, it had been hazy and decidedly muck-colored around the edges.

The farmer stood by her, gazing up at the sky as well, but for a different reason. The rain was turning to snow now. Taking a great hold on Kagura's anchoring stake, the farmer wrenched her out of the ground, heaving her body—stake and all—onto his shoulder, he trudged back to his cottage.

He strode directly past freeze without noticing anything more than a slight drop in temperature.

_Freeze…_ Kagura called wistfully. To her great surprise, he turned to her. But before she had a chance to say more, the farmer slammed the door shut.

He set her back on the mending wall as he brought more logs and a box of Lucifer matches. Then he set her as kindling in the fireplace. She was damp, but it would have to do for that night.

Striking the match across the side of the small box and throwing the flaming stick into the fireplace, the farmer and his daughter watched as Kagura caught alight, rosemary cleansing the house of smoky, burning smells and replacing them with its own. She erupted in instant flames, easily spreading to the larger logs. Edges of her husk-body licked blue, flickering and swaying in their own wind.

But it was a fire without the jump and ravage of blaze. And there was the more detectable lack of his voice in her head. So he had gone, too. She supposed death would be a much warmer place with him.

Kagura's head bent back as the supporting pole crumbled and severed with embers. She smiled with melting, glazed bead-eyes at the window, where she knew freeze was watching.

_Thank you._

_--_

Fin


	5. Come in Happiness! by Heather and Bryan ...

Disclaimer: This story was written by Heather and Bryan Weber , not Inuyasha Adventures. This story is an entry for the Spring '05 Fan Fiction contest. If you would like to vote on this story to win the contest or any other entry, please use the link on the profile page. Thank you, InuGirlTeen.

**Come In Happiness!**

**by Heather and Bryan Weber**

With a purposeful stride, Inu-Yasha tramped to the bone-eater's well, angry. He was not in the mood to hear why Kagome was late. "She's been there for three days, what's keeping her?" he grumbled, and pushed up his sleeves. Shippo had trailed along, waiting by the well, but the others were slowly coming up behind. Inu-Yasha was ready for his jump, but he wanted to clear before he landed either in the future or the bottom of the well. Still, he gripped the edge, swung over, and was in.

"I'm heading out!" Kagome called. She hefted the big bag one more time, and got ready to jump down the well with a padded break. She knew it was only a matter of time before Inu-Yasha would come to drag her back to the Warring States Era, and she wanted to beat him to the punch this time. Her brother Sota, her mother, and Grandpa were ready to wave her off. Grandpa reminded quickly that she needed to be back by the next day…

"Sure Grandpa, I wouldn't miss Setsubun!"

She then jumped in.

It's true that Kagome and Inu-Yasha had butted heads before, but never quite this literally. Somewhere in time and space, between now and then, the two of them met in the passage between each others' eras, and it was not a gentle meeting. In fact, both rather wondered why they were seeing stars, since that had never happened before. Seconds later, they found themselves back on their own side of the well, rubbing very sore heads.

Inu-Yasha was climbing out of the well, and Sango glanced over, "Well, that was fast."

"INU-YASHA!" Kagome yelled further down the well as she was climbing out, "SIT!"

Inu-Yasha suddenly felt the beads around his neck grow heavy once again, and he slipped back down the well, landing hard on the floor of the well in Kagome's era.

"What'd you do that for, ya stupid girl?"

"That hurt, you know!" Kagome said, still wincing.

"That's my line!"

"Hurry up and get back to the other side, or I'm not going anywhere." With that said, she sat on the edge of the well, leaning back towards where she was hearing him.

"Stupid, brainless, mean girl, " Inu-Yasha muttered.

"Oh, Inu-Yasha," Kagome's tone was dangerously sing-song, and then, casually, "sit."

"Will you stop that!"

"Oh, Kagome, that was quick," Her mother's voice trailed down the well with a rather cheery inflection. "You weren't needed?'

"Hmph, not exactly…"

"That's not funny! I would like to climb out, now, if it's all the same to you!" Inu-Yasha's voice howled back up. He gripped the ladder for a boost.

"Hello again, Inu-Yasha," her mother returned, then smiled in the direction of her daughter, " I guess we'll have an extra visitor this year."

"This year? For what?" Inu-Yasha popped his head finally out of the well.

And just as Inu-Yasha was finally got his question asked, the others at the well were pondering another. The four stared down the well with looks of contemplation.

"So why do you think that we can get to Kagome's time? I didn't make it when Kagome didn't have the jewel shards."

"Maybe that was the reason. Maybe it's like a spell that only works when certain elements are there."

It was then they realized their friends were taking their time coming back.

"What just happened?" Sango asked.

"I think Inu-Yasha just got told to sit," Shippo said.

"Well, should we go after him?" Miroku suggested.

"Go after him?" Sango looked confused.

"Maybe Kagome told him to sit, maybe she didn't," Miroku said evenly, "But we owe it to him to ensure his safety, as he has done for us so many times before."

"Face it, Miroku," Shippo said dourly, "You're just hoping that the girls from Kagome's time wear kimonos as short as hers."

Miroku gave his goofiest of goofy smiles, "Nonsense, Shippo. C'mon."

And with that, Miroku jumped into the well.

"C'mon, Shippo," Sango said, grabbing her Hiraikotsu, "We owe it to future generations to spare the ladies of Kagome's time from that perverted monk's lechery."

And Shippo had the last comment as he jumped in after the last of them, "Why are you sure this will woooooooorrrrrrrkkkkkkkkkkk!"

It was dark when they realized that even though the well was deep between times, it still had a floor. A very hard floor at that. And they had landed in a heap.

"So did we make it?" Shippo grunted.

"What's that noise?" Someone's voice asked. It was then that The familiar faces of Kagome and Inu-Yasha leaned back over.

"Hey, you guys made it!" Inu-Yasha sounded even surprised. And they reached down to help their friends out of the well.

"What? More demons?" Grandpa said, looking high and low for sutras. It must have been obvious that he was looking.

"Here," Miroku said, pulling a sutra from his robes. At that, Grandpa flipped it back and forth. So finally things were calming down, but it did not last long. After all, it was February second.

"Dinner is served," Kagome's mother smiled. As the udon was set down, the others paused for a call of "Itadakamasu!" Then the food was set upon.

" Could you pass the soy sauce, Shippo?" Kagome asked.

"Oh no, I forgot the fish heads!" Kagome's mother suddenly chirped. She was look on the list she had on the table.

Kagome sighed. "Well, that's one thing that can wait."

"Fish Heads?"

"Fish heads…"

Kagome put down her chopsticks, then turned to Shippo, " Decorations, and there's the cleaning for the shrine… In a way, I'm grateful that you all could be here. My friend's had gotten busy with other plans for Setsubun and it usually takes a long time for Sota, Grandpa and I to get ready."

"Well, that's what we get for living at the shrine, Oniichan…" Sota interjected, but then Grandpa gave a glare. Sota tilted his bowl towards him, hoping to ignore the look.

Miroku put down his bowl for a minute. "Well, we be glad to help…what are some of the things you need done?"

The scrapping sound of the broom was rather soothing in a way. Kagome noticed there was a counterpoint to the water from the bucket she was spreading, while Inu-Yasha brushed the leaves off the cement. He had the bandanna tied around his ears, and seemed to be thinking himself. Sango, Shippo, and Miroku were helping on cleaning the rails and floors with wiping cloths. In fact, Miroku and Shippo were racing each other for fun while pushing the cloths along the floor. Sango, however, while cleaning vigorously, seemed lost in thought.

"Is something the matter, Sango?" Kagome asked, "You look pretty distracted."

"It's just…I haven't done anything like this since my village…Well, for a moment I felt like I was with my own family again."

"Kagome, I finally got them," Her mother called to them. She held a package out for them. Inu-Yasha paused by her as the package was handed off, but after he sniffed twice, he went back to sweeping even harder than before. He also had a green pallor to his cheeks. A faint grunt and he had no farther comment.

The ones that could stand smell went to the sacred tree.

"Phew! Why are these used for decorations again?" Shippo asked, then covered his nose.

"They keep away Oni!" Grandpa called from the main shrine.

Sango pinched her nose shut for a moment. "Shueeee, they'd keep ANYTHING away…" But then she noticed that a certain two-tail began sneaking up in the fish head.

"Don't…Well, they'd keep away _almost _anything…"

"Grandpa, we're done!" Kagome hollered. Sota had finally came out of the house wearing a mask.

"What's that?" Shippo asked.

Sota handed one to the Kitsune. It was red and had rather a funny expression, and Shippo had to hold back a giggle. But as they started to leave the shrine to go around the district, Kagome literally skipped down the steps. When though the group got down the steps, it was then they realized an aspect of the holiday that the ones from the past had been not sure about.

"Ow! Hey!" Inu-Yasha felt the projectiles suddenly hit his face. They really didn't sting all that much, but the surprise of objects is what made him reach for his sword. It took a minute for him to realize that it was just a group of kids playing a prank.

Or so it seemed.

"Hey, we aren't year-men, this year…" Kagome started. "Well, my older friends aren't. Sota aren't these your friends?"

"Yeah…but the Mame Maki isn't until later!"

"What's that?" Inu-Yasha turned toward Kagome with a little confusion.

"Mame Maki is a tradition of throwing soy beans to chase away evil spirits, though most often it gets associated with Oni, the large ones. Anyway, supposedly Sota is playing the Toshi-Otoko, or what is also called year-man."

"And they throw these beans?" He looked at the soy bean a little closer. The tan bean seemed so harmless now.

"Well, there's supposed to be a saying as well. Oni wa soto; fuku wa uchi."

"Ogres out; happiness in?" Shippo tilted his head.

"Yep, bringing in the luck." Kagome smiled back. By this point, Sota called out, saying that he was going to head off with his friends. Kagome waved him off, telling him that they needed to be back by the celebration time. "There's something else I wanted to do before then…"

With a surprised look, Inu-Yasha sniffed the long sushi roll. Kagome had come from a store very quickly. "That has got to be huge!" he titled his head, "What's it for?"

"Another luck tradition. Face that direction and try to eat it quickly before it breaks!" Kagome started giggling, handing the others the same thing. "It's Nori Maki!"

Miroku looked at it. "Can we eat it in the package?"

"That's cheating."

Inu-Yasha gave a slight smirk. "You guys have no chance on beating me on this."

Shippo took a hold of his and they both began to munch very rapidly. For a moment it seemed they were even, but it the Nori was of a good size.

Shippo suddenly let out a faint yip. It then fell a bit apart.

Inu-Yasha then gave a funny snort and held a hand to his mouth. It made a bulge in his cheeks, and he tried to swallow.

"Hey, he finished it. Good fortune for the year." Shippo said around the mouthful he has swallowed.

"Well, we'll have to head back. Do you want to try and participate in a proper visit?"

When they got back up to the shrine itself, Kagome's mother soon swept by and caught the group. Visitors were starting to come in by then, by several at a time. Some were putting donations in the box, others are doing prayers for fortune in the new year. She hurried them past the visitors, and to get them ready for the shrine's celebration. They needed to be in place even before the year men, playing the Oni for the crowd to pelt.

"Well, I hope this works on hiding your ears while we participate in the Mame Maki…and the others are getting here for their costumes," Kagome smiled, placing one of her grandfather's shrine hats.

"I feel like a dork, " Inu-Yasha muttered. But he did look rather well.

People assembled under the eves of the main shrine building. Kagome and Sango had been passing out packets of soy beans to the crowd. While the boys got the others ready to make the celebration, the actors playing the Oni got on the side of the stage. Grandpa and Inu-Yasha held a basket each of more soy beans. "Welcome everyone!" Grandpa called out to the assembled crowd. And there a was cheer that somehow even made Inu-Yasha grin. But then, this time the pelting would be in the other direction.

Dark was beginning to cover the shrine when the last of the visitors headed for home. Cleanup began on the grounds. By then something came to mind that Miroku figured would make some sense. They smiled as they thought to head back into the well.

"Hey, where's Inu-Yasha?" Shippo looked around with surprised look.

With a pause on the overhang, Inu-Yasha curled into his usual pose. It had been rather fun for a holiday, but he realized that he had no time really to pause and catch a breath. It was a day that will be in his memory…

Still, it just didn't seem right just yet.

"Inu-Yasha?" Kagome tilted her head and smiled slightly. She was standing under him. For a moment, he was startled, and turned with a sheepish expression. "Did you have fun today?"

"Yeah…" Still he turned back to the night sky. The stars were a bit dimmer, but the lights of the city were shining as if to replace them. Then he jumped down, and stood next to her.

"So when do you want to go?" Kagome asked.

Inu-Yasha paused. "I'm not sure."

"Not sure."

"Well…"

Suddenly, Kagome gave a quick peck on his cheek. "Well, the others are ready to go, so we're just waiting on you." Then she headed back to the house and made a nod to the others.

Sango then went over to Inu-Yasha. "Hey, what's with you?" She even almost tapped his shoulder.

It took a moment, but then there was the distracted response of, "Nothing."

And the Shippo flicked a soy bean.

Then it was very back to normal. In fact, Shippo shouted that Inu-Yasha wasn't being fair.

"Come in Happiness, indeed…" Sango sighed.


End file.
